The Tide - October 2018

20

News 2-3

Opinions 4-6

La Marea 9

Center Spread 10-11

Features 12-14

Arts 16-18

Sports 19-20

Hall pass rule sparks debate

by Valerie Wang

PHOTO BY ISHA YARDI

Senior Sherry Liang drills a nail into a wooden plank for the set of fall musical “Oliver!”

Plot Twist: Oliver! behind the scenes

by Grace Comer In preparation for their musical next month, students in Richard Montgomery High School’s drama club, the Black Maskers, spend their afternoons creating bridges, painting chairs and testing microphones.

The production’s lighting, sound, music and sets are all designed and executed by RM students in the cast and crew.

Just like previous shows, this year’s production of “Oliver!” promises to be both challenging and rewarding for not only the actors and actresses, but also everyone backstage.

The Black Maskers’ shows require the combined efforts of students with diverse backgrounds and expertise to prepare for

the upcoming performance. Constructing sets, designing costumes, working with sound and lighting and playing in the pit orchestra are just some of the roles students take on.

Although these students are out of the spotlight during the play and rarely get the recognition that the actors receive, their work is equally crucial to the success of the musical.

Student musicians and crew members have already spent weeks working on their respective parts.

“For this production we’re making a two-story bridge, and for that we have to make sure everything is safe and secure, so no one falls and breaks something,” senior Sydney Sun, who serves as the assistant chief for set construction, said.

OLIVER, cont. page 17

With the start of the 2018-2019 school year, RM administrators have implemented a new hall pass policy requiring students to sign out in their agenda book before leaving a classroom. The new policy is an effort to keep better track of students, but has sparked controversy among students and staff.

The policy reflects an order from the MCPS Board of Education to ensure the safety and security of students. Principal Damon Monteleone said, “We need to know where students are at all time, where they went and how long they’re out of class.” When they leave class, students are now required to carry around signed passes from their spin books, distributed to homerooms in early September.

Furthermore, students are not allowed to leave the classroom in the first or last 10 minutes of each class. English teacher Susan Leckie said, “I’ve always had this policy.”

The reasoning behind the restriction is that teachers may be giving important instructions or assigning homework.

In previous years, each classroom was assigned a general-use plastic card.

security measures. Mr. Monteleone said, “The number one issue is safety, but the other issue is responding to staff surveys about students not being in class on time.”

However, many students have expressed complaints about the revised policy.

“Having to bring up an agenda is super disruptive,” junior Rina Levy said. As the teacher is required to sign off on all passes, a constant stream of students may have to interrupt class to ask to use the bathroom.

In response to concerns over the hygenic consequences of carrying the agenda book into bathrooms, Jelen said the school will be creating designated shelves for spin books. Two months into the school year, measures have yet to be implemented.

Students also have reservations about the new “10 minute rule.” “The least instruction happens in the first ten minutes of class,” junior Deeksha Sesha said.

“With the old policy, students could grab a hall pass at the beginning of class with the teacher’s permission and be back within the first five minutes,” senior Maren Berman said.

Staff members recommend students use the bathroom as the bell rings between classes. Monteleone added: “Lunch is 50 minutes. You shouldn’t need to go to the bathroom in the beginning of fifth period.”

The number one issue is safety, but the other issue is...students not being in class on time.”

-Mr. Monteleone Teachers and security staff had voiced concerns that some students, passes in hand, loitered in the hallways instead of returning immediately to class.

IB coordinator Joe Jelen announced the policy at the beginning of the new school year, citing students’ alleged histories of skipping class and the need for improved

The effectiveness of the hall-pass rule in cutting truancy and keeping students accountable, measured against its disruption to classrooms, has yet to be determined. Meanwhile, not all students are adamantly opposed to the new policy.

As sophomore Jaewoo Chung said, “It’s not the worst thing in the world.”

RM students and staff feel effects of overcrowding

by Dina Garmroudi With over 160,000 students in Montgomery County Public Schools and only 206 schools, students and teachers have been feeling the effects of overcrowding both inside and outside of classrooms.

Overcrowding has affected the county for over a decade, but its consequences have only become more apparent in the past few years. “Schools are often bursting at the seams,” Montgomery County Council President Hans Riemer said.

Richard Montgomery High School is among 14 high schools in Montgomery County that experience overcrowding (schools that are filled to more than 101

Inside The Tide...

percent of their capacities).

With the amount of overcrowding occurring at Richard Montgomery, new portables have been constructed this year in the parking lot. “I think it affects RM because we are starting to see portables outside of the buildings, and taking students outside of the building which can impact the feeling of community,” said English teacher Brandi McDonald-Nestor.

“This makes for transition from class to class a bit more difficult because it’s hard to navigate through the halls without bumping into people,” junior Leshan Viswanath said.

He added, “Even with some of my classes being full I still think that teachers are able to handle large numbers of students.”

OVERCROWDING, cont. page 3

Opinions, 4 Meditations on pineapple pizza

PHOTO BY ISHA YARDI

Students crowd stairwells and Main Street as the bell rings at the end of a school day.

La Marea, 9 World Cup unity

Features, 14

New clubs and more!

Sports, 19 Athletic tips from the best

2 The Tide

October 2018

NEWS

Kavanaugh hearings rile RM students

by Abby Adigun On Oct. 14, a senate vote of 5048 narrowly confirmed Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court.

Appointed by President Donald Trump, Kavanaugh will serve his lifetime tenure as the 114th Justice to serve on America’s highest court.

“I think this confirmation will cement the conservative bloc on the Supreme Court for decades.”

- Camber Vincent Chief Justice John Roberts Jr. and the retired Justice Anthony Kennedy swore in Kavanaugh during a private ceremony. It had been uncertain whether Justice Kavanaugh would be confirmed

due to allegations of sexual assault made against him by various women, especially Dr. Christina Blasey Ford.

The testimony Ford delivered at a Senate hearing caused President Trump to order an FBI investigation on her allegations, thereby halting the confirmation process.

After senators reviewed the resulting FBI report, the confirmation process continued.

Quite a few RM students believe that Kavanaugh’s confirmation was a symptom of a flawed judicial system.

Sophomore Sarah Molot dislikes that he was elected despite Ford’s allegations.

“This confirmation is making it painfully aware to students just how broken this process is.

This is not upholding the law. It is ignoring it,” Molot said.

While Molot faults the confirmation process, sophomore Alejandro Guierrez, on the other hand, believes that partisan politics are to blame.

“I think there have been strings pulled on both sides.

[The Republicans have] not

focused solely on the allegations but about power and money and personal interests regarding where Congress is at right now,” Alejandro Gutierrez said.

Guiterrez is not alone in thinking that special interests heavily influenced Kavanaugh’s appointment to the Supreme Court.

The conservative majority created by this

appointment leaves many Americans wondering about the future of America’s legal system.

Kavanaugh has a history of not supporting gun control. In 2011, he dissented against a court ruling that upheld Washington D.C’s gun registration law and ban on semi-automatic rifles.

According to the National Radio Podcast, Kavanaugh wrote, “A ban on a class of arms is not an ‘incidental’ regulation.

It is equivalent to a ban on a

category of speech.”

Gun control is only one of many topics that RM students worry will be impacted by Kavanaugh’s confirmation.

Junior Camber Vincent firmly believes that Kavanaugh’s

GRAPHIC BY HELEN QIAN

confirmation will have farreaching consequences.

“I think this confirmaton will cement the conservative bloc on the Supreme Court for decades, so that means some long standing precedents may

be overturned, such as gay marriage, abortion rights, or the death penalty, which may be a problem,” Vincent explained.

Although Vincent worries about the future of American legislature, he does think that the confirmation process was primarily fair.

“This confirmation up until the sexual allegations has been fairly normal and correct. I think the only ‘scam’ I see was the denial for an FBI investigation and now, the cutting short of the FBI probe and retraction of evidence found,” Vincent said.

Sophomore Anand Chitnis does not think that the Senate should have appointed Kavanaugh to serve on the Supreme Court.

“A lot of his answers during the hearing made me think he’s not mature enough to hold a job like this,” Chitnis explained. “This isn’t how anyone should behave during a hearing and [it] speaks to his maturity generally.

No matter how the RM student body views Kavanaugh, the fact remains that he will probably serve on the Supreme Court for several decades. The legacy that he will leave behind remains to be seen.

Students unite to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month

by Emily Chen In celebration of National Hispanic Heritage Month, a group of RM teachers organized a week of events from Oct. 8-15, ranging from poetry readings to dance sessions.

During lunch, students could hear Latin music playing from Main Street or taste a variety of foods from Latin American cultures.

Although students of Hispanic or Latino ethnic background make up about 23.4% of the RM student population according to the 20172018 enrollment report, many feel that they are underrepresented in the student body. These celebrations were designed to give Latino students an outlet in which they can present and embrace their cultures and share it with the rest of the student body.

“I don’t see a lot of Hispanic influence even though we have a lot of kids who are influxing from Hispanic countries,” computer science teacher and organizer Mrs. Kimberly Gustin said.

She continued, “I think that the group is slightly underrepresented as far as being able to express themselves and know about their culture.

Having this [fair], and making people aware of it, is probably a very positive thing and I think it makes the Hispanic population feel a little bit included.”

In addition to overall acceptance and appreciation, some people hope the fair can educate others on what being Latino means. “A lot of people think Latinos are all Mexican and they have a very solid image of the ‘average’ Latino in

their minds, whereas in reality there are over 30 Latino nations and Latinos come from a variety of racial backgrounds,” junior Clara Bonzi, who represented Brazil at the fair, said.

“The USA has more Spanish speakers than every Latin American country except Mexico.”

- Daniela Brigatti Although Brazil, a Portuguese-speaking country, is not a Hispanic country, Bonzi

hoped to share her culture with the student body as a Latina.

Many students feel that Latino history and culture is also not addressed in school curricula.

“Latino history, current events, and culture are largely ignored, and I think that’s one of the reasons why there are so many misconceptions about it,” Bonzi said.

Others share Bonzi’s concerns about the public perception of Latino culture, but feel that the fair did not showcase the distinctions between Latino cultures.

“I fear that celebrations like this one will clump all of Latino culture together instead of portraying the reality of how incredibly diverse these countries truly are,” Spanish Honor Society president Dani Brigatti said.

Beyond Richard Montgomery,

Latino heritage is important on a much larger scale, as the United States is currently home to more than 58 million Latinos.

“What a lot of people don’t realize is that the USA has more Spanish speakers than every Latin American country except Mexico,” Brigatti said. Many RM students hope that this recognition of Latino cultures will continue beyond just celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month.

“I’m glad we have a month dedicated to Hispanic Heritage, but I also feel that we should be reflecting on diverse cultures and societies every single month and we should be making an effort to connect with the Latino community every month. I hope we can continue working, as a school community, on creating recognition, support, and celebration of our Latino students,” Brigatti said.

October/November

Oct 31

Halloween Go boonanas!

Nov 6

General Election Day Polls open, schools close!

PHOTO BY EMILY CHEN

RM students prepare to share Peruvian potatoes and drinks with others.

Nov 7

End of First Marking Period Get your grades up!

Nov 9

Opening Night of Oliver!

Come support the Black Maskers!

AWARDS

Hats off to the 36 seniors who have been named National Merit Scholarship semifinalists.

Congrats to the Quizbowl A team for winning first place at the Johns Hopkins Novice Tournament!

Props to the iGEM team for getting accepted to participate in the 2018 iGEM Jamboree competition.

The Tide

MCPS distributes condoms for safety

by Chloe Gonzalez and Sarah Seed On Sept. 11, the Montgomery County Public School Board officially made latex condoms available in public schools. Starting Oct. 1, condoms would be available to students in all high school health rooms, along with free sexually transmitted infection (STI) prevention education.

School Board Member Jill Ortman-Fouse introduced the proposal after learning last spring that STIs were increasing at double the rate in Montgomery County compared to the rest of the state.

People ages 15 to 29 are most susceptible to this STI increase.

following a pilot program at the following four area high schools: Wheaton, Watkins Mill, Northwood and Gaithersburg.

A week after testing the pilot program at the four schools, the School Board unanimously approved the plan.

While the county has just made the decision, other counties near Montgomery County have already brought condoms into high schools.

For example, Washington DC has had condoms available in schools since 1992. “Other school systems like Baltimore City, Prince George’s County, DC, do much more outreach as far as the education goes,

GRAPHIC BY MARIA SOBOLEVA

Ortman-Fouse said she consulted with student leaders such as RM senior Ananya Tadikonda, the Student Member of the Board, to find out whether students would support such a measure.

The Board is striving to provide resources that allow students to make safe decisions when it comes to relationships. As OrtmanFouse said, “Our adolescents, our youngest students, and girls are particularly vulnerable to what can be lifetime consequences of these infections, and keeping our kids safe is a priority for me and for our Board Members.”

The Board’s decision calls for each school to receive 100 condoms per month, with any requesting student receiving a bag with five condoms.

The Board has said that the school nurse will keep a record of any visits where they either met with the Nurse, or requested to see the nurse in order to obtain condoms. While they will keep track of the number of people, they will not record any specific names.

The Board enacted the plan

and have greater availability, “ Ortman-Fouse said.

Richard Montgomery students have varied opinions about the MCPS Board’s decision. Senior Piper Feldman is in favor of the change and doesn’t think it will have any negative impacts.

“I don’t think distributing condoms is going to convince many kids who aren’t already having sex to have sex, so I can only see it preventing STDs and reducing unplanned pregnancies,” Feldman said.

Junior Elizabeth Meyer, however, recognizes that STIs are a problem but does not see the need for the Board to provide condoms. “I mean, the STD rates are through the roof, but condoms are also not that expensive so I don’t think we need them at schools,” Meyer explained.

Ortman-Fouse said that students with feedback on the plan and suggestions for improvement could write to the Board.

NEWS

October 2018

3

Overcrowding plagues schools across county CROWDING, cont. from page 1

Students have also begun to feel the effects of overcrowding not just while transitioning between classes but also within classrooms.

“I used to be really good at Spanish, but now I feel like since there’s so many people for the teachers to pay attention to; it’s hard to get the help that you need,” junior Madison Catron said.

The consequences have stretched beyond school as well. Some students even find themselves squeezed in seats on their buses.

“MCPS’ overcrowding has always had an impact on my life because I grew up in Twinbrook where the buses were always filled to maximum capacity,” sophomore May Soemin said.

She added, “We need to address small issues that are a result from overcrowding as well.”

Teachers have also been witnessing overcrowding in their classrooms. “It is a natural consequence of development

“There’s so many people for the teachers to pay attention to; it’s hard to get the help that you need.”

- Madison Catron that’s going on in the county and the fact that school budgets can’t seem to catch up with the population growth,” Ms. McDonald-Nestor said.

“I think that my classes are fine. I don’t have overcrowding in my classes, but I know that that’s not the case everywhere in the building.”

This is not to say that Montgomery County is not

attempting to solve the issue.

MCPS has scheduled for new high schools to be built in Gaithersburg and Bethesda.

The Washington Post reports that 30 new MCPS building projects have been approved, including additions to ease the overcrowding problem.

These projects directly target

“I am very fortunate to live in a country where the students have so much say on how the school system should be ruled.

Having a SMOB is a very important factor on how MCPS will change the overcrowding situation,” she said.

The Student Member of the Board of Education, RM

the issue. “Currently, I’m very glad that MCPS is thinking about building a school in Downtown Crown to relieve overcrowding at Quince Orchard and Gaithersburg high school,” Soemin said.

Montgomery County has not only formed plans for a new school but has also placed a one-year moratorium on building houses in Silver Spring and Takoma Park.

This freeze was implemented in the hopes that overcrowding will not grow worse than it already has.

However, these planners still do not know where the forecasted number of students will uultimately end up at.

Still, Soemin is looking ahead.

senior Ananya Tadikonda, has also been highlighting the impacts overcrowding can have throughout schools.

Currently, her Advisory Council has been addressing the issue, calling attention to future projects that Montgomery County students could benefit from.

In schools affected by overcrowding, students must accustom themselves to larger classes, crowded buses, and busier hallways.

With the county looking toward possible solutions, however, students at Richard Montgomery will perhaps see some relief in the future.

GRAPHIC BY LANCHI NGUYEN

Board of Education votes for school district diversity

by Jerry Shen On Sept. 24, the Montgomery County Board of Education voted 5-3 in favor of a bill that would increase the importance of diversity when redistricting school boundaries. This bill was made to help integrate some of the existing schools where racial diversity is lacking.

Richard Montgomery High School is without a doubt a diverse school. 29.5 percent of students are white, 17.5 percent are African American, 24.7 percent are Asian American and 23.4 percent are Hispanic American.

With RM’s diverse student population, Montgomery County is likely to keep the school’s current boundaries. However, in many other schools in Montgomery County, the same level of diversity does not exist.

Walt Whitman High School is one example of this trend, with the school being comprised of almost 68.8 percent white students and 23.9 percent Asian American students.

The Board’s revision plan would recluster some of the areas around Walt Whitman High School. The new school district would include areas that currently feed into other schools.

Other high schools such as Seneca Valley High School and Northwest High School also have

somewhat low diversity levels that the board hopes to address.

“This bill is going to look at three other high schools in the area and the demographics because each of them are very different,” said senior Ananya Tadikonda, who serves as the Student Member of the Board (SMOB).

The BOE has announced that

it will be revising these schools’ boundaries to maximize equality and opportunity for all students.

Many students see this amendment as the right step forward. “I think in any education system and environment, diversity is beneficial to all students,” sophomore Nick Asante, a

GRAPHIC BY KATIE ZHANG

proponent of the bill, said.

“In Montgomery County we’re so lucky to have such a diverse population,” Asante continued, “so I think it is important to have all the students in our school system

experience the diverse cultures that exist in our county.”

However, this bill does not focus solely on racial diversity.

“It’s not only related to race but also things like socioeconomic status, such as students who are on free and reduced lunch meals.

To make sure that all schools are equitable and so that one school does not have more resources than another,” Asante said.

At RM students do not expect to be affected by the new policy’s changes. “RM is one of the most diverse high schools in the county,

“It’s not only related to race but also things like socioeconomic status.”

- Nick Asante and it includes a good number of each race,” freshman Ishanvi

Malayanil said. “If you look at our school clubs, there are clubs for nearly every race.”

However, some students view the changes the bill brings with skepticism. “It’s absolutely fair to consider and work to see if it’s possible to implement diversity, but they are unrealistic for creating widespread change for all schools,” senior Siobhan Light said.

The bill’s timeline might also be a point of contention for many students due to ambiguity. “The only potential flaw might be we didn’t do a lot of communication about what the language means with the community before taking the vote,” Tadikonda said.

“They thought that many schools would have to switch immediately, but that is not the case,” she explained.

Although the change will not be immediate, the new amendment to the Board of Education’s policy when redistricting school boundaries will undoubtedly have a large impact on learning environments in Montgomery County.

4 The Tide

October 2018

OPINIONS

The new hall pass rule keeps RM students safe

by Rachel Freedman You are sitting in class, and you want to go to the bathroom.

You raise your hand, but your teacher refuses. They reference the school’s new policy: the “tenten” rule.

According to this rule, you are not allowed to leave class during the first and last ten minutes of the period. You sigh and start watching the clock, waiting for that tenth minute of class to strike.

To provide a solution to this predicament, many teachers and administrators claim that instead of going to the bathroom in the first or last ten minutes of class, students should go in between classes.

Unfortunately, to students,

this is unfair. In most cases, they do not have enough time to go to the bathroom and still make it to their next class on time. This is especially true for students whose classes are far apart.

At the end of the day, the policy is in place to benefit students.

However, teachers find the new rule beneficial. While it may be inconvenient for students, it ensures that students are there when they give instructions out for the period. In previous years without this rule, students would go to the bathroom in the beginning or end of class, and

come back only to ask to be caught up in class, creating disruptions in a lesson.

“Students are not rushing over to my desk during the first and last ten minutes to ask to use the bathroom,“ said Spanish teacher Jean Van Duzer.

Furthermore, the new rule is set in place to help both teachers and students, allowing students to maximize the beginning and end of class, and the teachers to know who is out of the classroom at all times.

Last year, many students would skip the last ten minutes by saying they had to use the bathroom, but instead take their bags and leave.

Similarly, many students would grab a pass in the first five minutes of class and stay in the hallways until the bell rings.

This can not only be frustrating for teachers, who are missing out

on valuable instruction time, but also can create major safety issues.

“Teachers need to know where students are at all times,” Principal Damon Monteleone said. With the new rule in place, teachers can feel secure in knowing that all of their students will most likely return for class and can be accounted for during the entire period.

To address student concerns over lack of time to use the bathroom in between classes, Monteleone is considering extending the time between classes to six minutes in the future.

“It can be really hard for students to get from the portables to the third floor and still have time to use the bathroom in only five minutes,” Monteleone said.

While controversial, the new

GRAPHIC BY ERIC KIM

policy is not implemented to keep students from going to the bathroom, but instead to limit the number of students out at a time of important academic instruction.

It might be an inconvenience in the moment, but at the end of the day, the policy is in place to benefit students.

Is “doing nothing” a good use of your time?

by Nicole Fang After a long day at school, many of us race from activity to activity, stay up late into the night studying, and get up early in the morning just to do it all over again.

It has become part of our psyche that we must squeeze as much as we can into our day in order to feel accomplished and productive.

In a restless world where overachievers are praised and everyone’s schedule is jampacked, it is important that we do not forget the art of doing nothing.

First things first: “doing nothing” is not really doing nothing. Relishing in idleness

is a skill that is oddly difficult to accomplish in our overwhelmingly busy culture.

Whether it is meditating, sleeping, or just looking out into space, it will help your brain and body come back rejuvenated and focused.

Poet Oscar Wilde said,“To do nothing at all is the most difficult thing in the world, the most difficult and the most intellectual,” Doing nothing is often associated with wasting time and not being productive.

However, in reality, it can help you provoke creative ideas, regain attention and energy, and reflect on yourself.

Being busy all the time is on the contrary counterproductive, as effort spent on a task does not necessarily correlate to

effectiveness. With our days mapped out to the second, we find ourselves too exhausted to aaccomplish a task well and efficently.

“I set a schedule of my activities, homework, and break time.

Taking time to think to myself, even without the influence of social media or Netflix, I find very rewarding, and is something I wish I could do even more. When overloaded with work and a racing mind, taking breaks...helps your mind catch up, and even makes you more productive,” said senior Russell Corbin.

Research compiled by the Scientific American from professors around the nation has proven that our brains depend on downtime to consolidate memory, reinforce learning, and refresh the mind.

“Doing nothing is just huge

Cartoon Corner Nightmare on Main Street (2018)

for giving your brain the needed break to refresh so that when you do go back to your busy schedule, you can focus better and be calmer with others,” said yoga teacher Patricia Wayerski.

GRAPHIC BY HELENA YANG

Today’s world demands too much effort in return for too little happiness, so we have to decouple ourselves from societal beliefs of what is a worthwhile lifestyle

is. By trying to spend our time productively and usefully, we have isolated ourselves from our community and those who we love. It is vital to learn to step back from commitments to find more compassion for ourselves and others.

Spending time in solitude also allows you to keep in touch with the rhythms of life and engage with who you are.

“With all the hecticness in life, being able to just breathe and relax helps me center myself and figure out solutions to all my obstacles,“ said freshman Katie Yuan.

Even if it seems useless and unproductive, doing nothing can refresh ourselves, boost our attention, better our relationships, and allow us to find value in the person we strive to be.

The Tide 250 Richard Montgomery Drive Rockville, Maryland 20852 www.thermtide.com 301-610-8000 The Tide is the student newspaper of Richard Montgomery High School in Rockville, Maryland. The Tide is dedicated to keeping the Richard Montgomery school community accurately informed and to providing a forum for student expression.

1,000 copies of the newspaper are printed and distributed among students.

Any corrections are printed in the following issue on page 2.

The opinions presented in The Tide do not necessarily reflect the views of the staff and administration at Richard Montgomery.

The Tide is affliated with ASPA, CSPA, and NSPA. Questions, concerns, and suggestions on articles, advertisements, and photos can be submitted to thetideeditors@gmail.com.

Editors-in-Chief..............................................................Angela Sun, Emily Tian, Derek Yao Business Manager................................................................................................Michelle Ling News........................................................................Anna Chen. Robyn Fohouo, Helen Qian Opinions............................................................Rebecca Huang, Shevani Tewari, Ashley Ye Center Spread..........................................................................Angela Mu, Maureen Zeufack La Marea.................................................................................Daniel Lopez, Daniela Moreira Features...................................................................................................Tesia Shi, Emily Zhao Arts.....................................................................Emily Chen, Isabella Levine, Christine Zhu Photo......................................................................................................Emily Chen, Isha Yardi Graphics....................................................................................Lanchi Nguyen, Valerie Wang Sports.............................................................................Orrin Ni, Clare Zhang, Justin Zhang Digital Art Specialists.........................................................................Alana Lu, Valerie Wang Social Media Managers...................................Ananya Krishnan, Angela Mu, Katie Zhang Faculty Advisors.......................Ms. Laurie Brown, Ms. Jennifer Kidd, Mrs. Bonnie Peyer

GRAPHIC BY ANGELINA GUHL

The Tide

OPINIONS

Spotlight Issue:

October 2018

5

Kavanaugh’s Nomination

Hypocritical views of Kavanaugh threaten policy

by Rithik Patel Arguably the most controversial Supreme Court nominee in American history, Brett Kavanaugh was approved by the Senate, and on October 6, officially became a Justice.

Putting aside the numerous allegations of sexual assault against him, his judicial philosophy and temperament raise serious questions about his credibility. Will he further polarize the judiciary? It is safe to say that Kavanaugh will further damage faith in our institutions because of his lack of judicial independence, disregard for our constitutional rights, and tendency to overturn key laws relating to health care, workers’ rights, and the environment.

the infamous 1973 Roe v. Wade case that legalized abortion in the first trimester on the national level. Despite his rhetoric, the record of recently nominated conservative justices shows that he cannot be trusted to follow precedent when important cases are brought to the Court. Although there were not many abortion cases brought to the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals when

last month, Kavanaugh refused to answer a question from Democratic Senator Patrick Leahy about whether a sitting President has the right to pardon himself if under a federal investigation. Regardless of whether you agree with Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s Trump-Russia investigation, Kavanaugh’s avoidance of Senator Leahy’s question indicates his hypocrisy, as he said earlier

“No one is above the law in our constitutional system.”

- Justice Brett Kavanaugh It is almost guaranteed that the Court will become more conservative with Kavanaugh on board, and that puts numerous crucial policies in danger of being overruled: the Affordable Care Act, which provides health insurance for more than 20 million people, the Employment Act, which protects employees from discrimination, and the Clean Air Act, which prevents air pollution. Not only does he oppose beneficial policies, Kavanaugh has made previous statements that should alarm Americans from all over the political spectrum.

In his Senate confirmation hearing early

PHOTO COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Former Justice Anthony Kennedy administers the Judicial Oath to Judge Kavanaugh in the hearing, “No one is above the law Kavanaugh served as a Judge, he agreed in our constitutional system.” He also held with the Trump administration’s rejection these views prior to Trump’s presidency. of a young female migrant’s request to In a 2009 law journal, Kavanaugh wrote, have an abortion last year. “a serious constitutional question exists Other conservative justices behave regarding whether a President can be similarly. According to PBS, despite his vow criminally indicted and tried while in to respect precedent in his confirmation office.” Kavanaugh’s strong bias towards hearing, Justice Neil Gorsuch voted to executive power raises concern about overturn a 41-year-old precedent in a whether he will be more loyal to President labor rights-related case, Janus v. AFSCME, Trump or the law if any litigation involving which eliminated the right for public sector the President is brought to the Court. unions to demand non-union workers pay Kavanaugh gave the standard line in his dues in order to receive their benefits. hearing that he will respect settled law on PBS pointed out Chief Justice John the bench when asked whether he supports Roberts’ restricted abortion rights even

though in his nomination process he promised he would respect Roe v. Wade and not speculate on potential cases relating to it, proving that Americans should not fall for Kavanaugh’s dodge or expect him to act as a “judicial activist”. They should expect that his conservative beliefs will be of utmost importance. The strong likelihood that he will vote to overturn Roe v. Wade, which a majority of Americans support, will surely contribute to the eroding trust of the Court over the past few decades.

Kavanaugh will also attack civil liberties, a key principle in the Constitution. During his tenure on the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, Kavanaugh ruled in the case Klayman v.

Obama that the government’s warrantless mass collection of telephone metadata was justified, for the “critical national security need” overrides privacy concerns.

The National Security Agency uses this classic justification in order to convince U.S. citizens that sacrificing their privacy and freedom will help the government catch terrorists. Kavanaugh siding with the government when deciding critical Fourth Amendment cases will convince Americans that the Court will not defend their basic civil liberties.

In United States v. Jones, a case that dealt with the government using a GPS to track a suspect’s vehicle for four weeks, Kavanaugh claimed the police did not need to have a warrant, due to the short of a time period.

It is clearly unconstitutional to track people without a warrant, and it infringes on a person’s privacy and protection against unreasonable search and seizure.

Though Americans come from all across the political spectrum, they should all be outraged by a Supreme Court nominee who believes that the executive branch is above the law and dismisses the civil liberties that our founding fathers fought for.

Kavanaugh’s extreme judicial philosophy demonstrates that he is unqualified to make important decisions which will influence the direction of our nation.

Kavanaugh’s nomination normalizes rape culture

by Faith Cheung Brett Kavanaugh was nominated to the Supreme Court by Trump on July 10, 2018.

Soon afterwards, Christine Blasey Ford claimed that she was sexually assaulted by Kavanaugh during their high school years.

However, on October 6th, the Senate voted Brett Kavanaugh onto the Supreme Court.

In the time between Kavanaugh’s nomination to the Supreme Court and his confirmation as a justice, three brave women stepped forward with sexual assault allegations: Deborah Ramirez, Julie Swetnick and Christine Blasey Ford.

Deborah Ramirez lives in Boulder, Colorado and works on the board of a domestic violence organization. Ramirez met Kavanaugh at Yale University when they were freshmen. During a drinking game with mutual friends, Kavanaugh exposed himself to her against her will.

Julie Swetnick attended school in Montgomery County. She claimed she witnessed Judge Kavanaugh acting aggressively and abusively towards girls.

The most remarkable case came from Christine Blasey Ford, a research psychologist at Stanford University. Ford, in a letter that she sent to Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), claimed that Supreme Court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh, drunkenly pinned her down and sexually assaulted her when they were both teenagers in the 1980s.

Kavanaugh at the party while Kavanaugh indignantly denied every allegation.

“I considered the [Supreme Court] the highest position any person could hold.”

- Mira Kux

PHOTO COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Blasey Ford testifies before the Senate.

Kavanaugh denied these allegations. “I look forward to testifying [at the hearing] about the truth and defending my good name–and the reputation for character and integrity I have spent a lifetime building– against these last-minute allegations,” Kavanaugh said.

On September 27, a hearing was held for the Senate before their vote on Kavanaugh’s confirmation to the Supreme Court. At this hearing, Ford, in tears, described in graphic detail what occurred between her and

After this hearing, the vote was postponed to allow for a limited-scope FBI investigation that only lasted one week.

Presumably, no new information was found against Kavanaugh, and he was confirmed.

The very thought of allowing an accused sexual harasser on the Supreme Court horrifies women around the United States.

In Washington DC, women protested against Kavanaugh’s confirmation; women are running for office in record numbers, hoping to resist the limiting policies sure to be passed by Republicans.

Kavanaugh’s placement on the Supreme Court injures the Court’s reputation. “Up until this point I considered it the highest position any person could hold in this country,” sophomore Mira Kux said.

“Kavanaugh is going to push a very conservative agenda, putting LGBT, immigration, refugee, minority, and feminist rights in jeopardy,” Kux continues,

noting that republicans were able to disregard the allegations.

Moreover, the confirmation of Kavanaugh normalizes rape culture. Young eyes watching this will see that a man, accused of sexual assault three times, got voted to the Supreme Court, diminishing the consequences of rape.

Survivors of sexual assault are not being heard, and the women’s stories are examples of cases being set aside. sophomore Elias Applebaum stated, “These women had nothing to gain by speaking up and had everything to lose.

But they boldly stepped forward anyways, doing for their country what a true patriot should do and trying to protect the validity of our government.”

Women around the world were touched as they watched Ford testify against her alleged harasser, Brett Kavanaugh. Voting Brett Kavanaugh onto the Supreme Court was a terrible mistake, but hopefully, this will fuel the momentum of women fighting the stigma of rape culture. Dominating the news cycle for weeks, the historic struggle between Brett Kavanaugh and Christine Blasey Ford has finally come to a close.

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OPINIONS

The Tide

October 2018

The Tide’s View: We must do more to address mental health

by The Tide Editorial Staff It is no secret that mental illness and suicide are causes of concern. Given that one in five young people suffer from a mental illness, it is likely that we all know at least one person who is affected. However, if in all likelihood we all have a friend, coworker, classmate, or family member who suffers from a mental illness, why is it that as a whole, we repeatedly distance ourselves from the situation?

In November and December of last year, two students took their lives over the course of two weeks in MCPS. Heart emojis and calls for action flooded social media, counselors came into classes to discuss the issues of mental health, and students attended vigils. Yet, just eleven months later, we have become silent on the issue.

While we must give credit to adminisrations throughout the county for implementing mental health days, giving presentations on mental health, and encouraging homework-free weekends, students remain unaware of when to seek help, and continue to ignore the resources that are available.

Consider depression, the symptoms of which include (but are not limited to) exhaustion, sadness, and anxiety. Under

stress from school, almost all students experience these emotions regularly, creating a culture of normalization, and decreasing the chances that those affected will seek help. Unfortunately, this trend continues when these unfortunately familiar symptoms materialize into the more dangerous impacts of hopelessness, self-hatred, and a lack of will to live.

Although schools can improve their education on mental illness, especially on the distinction between regular emotions and an illness that requires professional help, students need to use this information to look out for ourselves and our peers.

We must use also use this information to reverse the trend of desensitization to

GRAPHIC BY LANCHI NGUYEN AND GRACE ZHOU

Pineapple on pizza: A sweet or sour decision?

by Raashi Dewan Pineapple on pizza: an iconic debate.

The presence of pineapple on pizza actually has some scientific backing. The first thing to understand is that taste is divided into five main categories: sweet, salty, bitter, sour, and savory (umami).

Unfortunately for our overall health, humans are drawn to sweet, sugary flavors by biological predisposition. We are also predisposed to enjoy salty foods. Of course, there is a high quantity of sodium in pizza and sugar in pineapple.

Thus, it makes sense that so many people enjoy this seemingly odd combination.

“The sweetness with the savoriness, they just work so well together; it’s a great combo,” said senior Justin Chow.

I personally think pineapple on pizza is delicious, but I cannot say that I have ever held a grudge against someone with an opposing opinion.

However, if you view pineapple as a pizza topping as an aberration, you are in good company - with the president of Iceland no less. President Guðni Th. Jóhannesson declared that he would outlaw pineapple as a pizza topping if he had the power to do so.

This topic is not the most prevalent in the political sphere, and a little odd for a politician to comment on.

GRAPHIC BY KISHA YAN

The backlash on the Internet was so strong that the president had to issue a formal apology stating that he liked pineapple, just not as a pizza topping, and clarifying that he did not, in fact, have the power to force people to stop eating it as such.

Many people argue that pineapple is not a traditional, Italian pizza topping, and therefore should not be used. However, this argument ignores consumption of nontraditional toppings: ranch, BBQ chicken, macaroni, kebabs, and more.

“Whatever someone wants to put on their pizza is their own personal preference.”

- Joe Jelen Many seasoned chefs who specialize in pizza agree that canned pineapple is unacceptable as a pizza topping. However, most agree that fresh pineapple can be just as acceptable as pepperoni, another topping not traditionally Italian. Chefs will serve whatever their customers want, as long as it meets their quality standards.

While there may be some heated debates over the topic of pineapple on pizza, most people agree that it really does not matter, and the pizza toppings anyone chooses are their business.

Administrator Joseph Jelen said, “Whatever someone wants to put on their pizza is their own personal preference,”.

This sentiment is echoed on the internet and among students at Richard Montgomery. Chow stated “I don’t think it’s that big of a deal. I mean if you like pineapple on pizza, you like pineapple on pizza, and if you don’t, mind your own business.”

On a topic like pineapple on pizza, where you are really not going to change anyone’s opinion, as they seem to be held as near core beliefs, it can be very interesting to see the ways people will defend their stance.

mental illness. We can start by changing our speech. Phrases regarding mental illness and suicide, such as, “I want to kill myself,” or “I want to die,” are repeatedly thrown around as a mere expression of exasperation.

While these phrases are exaggerated, the concepts of death and suicide are thereby taken less seriously by the student body.

As a result, those who actively consider the option are significantly more likely to see the struggle as normal, belittling their own experience and avoiding help.

Since some students have incorporated these phrases into their daily lingo, they will have to actively work to change their speech patterns. While some may disregard the impact of such phrases, the simple act of being conscious about what we say is the first step to an overall change in the student attitude surrounding mental health.

Unfortunately, simply having more information and changing speech habits is not the end-all-be-all solution to the problem. Most often, help must include some adult intervention. Counselors and school psychologists often have their doors open to help students. However, students have yet to realize that seeking help, whether for themselves or for a friend, is not something to be ashamed of. Many students are reluctant to report a friend’s concerning comments because they view it as violation of trust.

Students need to understand that in many cases, professional help is necessary, and implications of accessible and effective treatments outweigh the consequences of potential anger or even broken friendships.

Finally, students must recognize how outside sources contribute to the stigma against mental illness. For example, despite the fact that most mentally ill people are not violent, politicians and PACs continue to portray them as so in order to push policy after mass shootings.

Furthermore, public attitude towards physical illnesses tends to be significantly more treatment-based compared to that of mental illnesses, as the Anxiety and Depression Association of America found that one-third of Americans find mental health treatment to be inaccessible. This leads to more mentally ill people being unwilling or unable to seek help.

By remaining aware of these influences, students can continue to challenge them, eventually creating a culture where their peers are more likely to come forward about their struggles and access professional help.

Students must take action every day, both in their surroundings and thoughts, for the widespread fight against mental illness to become more effective. The more we reduce the stigma, the safer our students become.

Toga Tuesday in turmoil

by Kyra Wisneski The week leading up to homecoming is arguably one of the most exciting weeks of the Richard Montgomery school year. The halls are buzzing with excitement as the week is filled with festivities, school spirit, and long upheld traditions. From year to year, spirit days (excluding Wednesday’s Class Color day and Friday’s Black and Gold Day) vary.

RM has shown its spirit through decades day, winter in summer, tourist day, and tiedye day, just to name a few. Yet, for seniors, the Tuesday leading up to homecoming is, without fail, Toga Tuesday.

It is essentially a rite of passage to welcome senior year by attending school draped in an elegant bed sheet tied to perfection (or, at the very least, how well the YouTube tutorial explained it).

However, this year, seniors were

“Although it does say in our handbook that off the shoulder tops are not allowed, it is not enforced.”

- Ayka Hailemariam informed that the long awaited tradition was, in some cases, suddenly a violation of the school dress code, and all of a sudden, the toga fun was over. Do togas infringe the school dress code? If so, is it then justifiable to ask student to remove their toga’s despite the tradition?

The answers to these questions are simple: no and no. The dress code is completely subjective and reliant upon the eye of the beholder.

While the dress code itself is a highly debatable and controversial topic, in this case, tradition is tradition. The class of 2019 was entitled to a toga Tuesday identical to the seniors in years past.

Seniors Ayka Hailemariam and Allison Link, both cited for dress-code violations because of their togas, described the togas worn by seniors as indistinguishable from

PHOTO COURTESY OF AYKA HAILEMARIAM

Seniors honor the Toga Tuesday tradition. the years past. Link explained, “Every grade takes after the last in terms of what to wear for toga Tuesday.” Because of this, the sudden occurence of being cited for dress-code violations is odd.

“We had to be wearing clothes that we could wear without the toga covering it...apparently, we could not show our shoulders,” said Link. Hailemariam added, “something needed to be put under my toga so that my shoulder wouldn’t be exposed.”

However, this reasoning is questionable.

Many members of the RM community, particularly females, can attest to the fact that the dress code is loosely and unequally enforced.

The subjectiveness of the dress code creates an atmosphere where the dress code loses its significance.

Hailemariam said, “Although it does say in our handbook that off the shoulder tops are not allowed, it is not enforced. Girls, including myself, continue to wear them without any repercussions.”

Because there has been a precedent established within recent years that small infringements of the dress code are less significant, seniors of the class of 2019 had no reason to believe that the day of ultimate enforcement would be on the long awaited senior tradition of Toga Tuesday.

While it is almost certain that administration had no direct intention of ruining the fun filled day of toga Tuesday, it is evident that the sporadic intense citing based on unclear and unenforced rules may have taken a toll on the seniors final homecoming spirit week.

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October 2018

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Alumnos celebran el mes de herencia hispana en RM por Sandra Aching El mes de la herencia hispana se celebra desde el 15 de septiembre hasta el 15 de octubre. En este mes, hay un reconocimiento de los aportes a la historia, tradiciones, contribuciones a la sociedad y cultura estadounidense de las comunidades hispanas. Así como también reconocemos la importancia de su presencia actual de los hispanos en este país.

Para los estudiantes de raíces hispanas de Richard Montgomery, es importante dar a conocer estas tradiciones, en especial porque existe una gran diversidad dentro de nuestra cultura. Esta diversidad nos permite comunicar de muchas maneras a otros compañeros, la importancia y las raíces de nuestra cultura.

“Como latina, me apasiona bastante poder promover y crear un puente para la comunidad latina en Richard Montgomery,” dijo Angélica Smith, la assistente administradora. Smith fue la encargada de organizar los eventos en la escuela con la participación de los profesores y los alumnos para celebrar la cultura hispana.

Los eventos se realizaron en las siguientes categorías: música, en donde estudiantes tocaron canciones del genero Latino en guitarras; literatura, en la que estudiantes pudieron leer poemas de poetas de origen hispano; arte y pintura, donde pudieron exponer obras de arte en relación con la herencia hispana; baile, donde se puso musica de diversos géneros musicales donde los estudiantes podían bailar; y

finalmente la feria de las herencia hispana, donde los alumnos pudieron explicar con más detalle sobre la cultura de su país.

Señora Shay, la coordinadora del programa del diploma de BI, participó con la ex-alumna Ashley Diaz, leyendo un poema de Pablo Neruda, “No te quiero sino porque te quiero.” Shay dijo que, “[el poema] es muy poderoso en su mensaje, se trata de un amor que no es correspondido, lo cual es una experiencia muy humana, pero lo que nos hace ver este poema, es que ese sentimiento te hace sentir vivo. Encontre la version en espanol tan hermosa, por lo tanto, le pregunté a Díaz que lo leyera en espanol y yo en inglés.”

La idea que se llevó a Shay a esta experiencia fue el querer recordarnos a celebrar los diferentes aspectos de la herencia hispana, en la cual se vea su vitalidad. Shay comparte, “… pienso que somos muy afortunados de tener un comunidad tan diversa aquí en RM.” Conjuntamente, al hablar con Smith, ella contó que el director Damon Monteleone se conmovió al ver una estudiante musulmana y una estudiante de origen asiática leer poemas en espanol, y dijo, “... [que] esto es Richard Montgomery, esto es la diversidad que se quiere.”

Estudiante del doceavo grado Batool Al-Ansari, realizó una exposición de arte y pintura en la que dio a lucir un aspecto importante en la cultura hispana, que es la diversidad que existe en la historia de Latinoamérica. Ella dijo, “Yo pinte una afrolatina y marque sus oídos con la palabra latina. Mi motivación de participar fue para traer conciencia a las minorías e influencia africana que existen también en la cultura

hispana, y me siento muy honrada de ser parte de algo que pueda crear conexiones e emociones como esta.” Asimismo, Smith mencionó, “El [propósito] de este mes de la herencia hispana es obviamente para celebrar su cultura, pero también tiene como objetivo, celebrar la diversidad en general porque hasta en su propia burbuja, es bastante diverso.”

los siguientes, estaremos viendo como mejorar, especialmente con respecto a empezar los eventos más temprano, y también adquirir más participación tanto de los profesores como los estudiantes. Por lo tanto, para mejorar el desarrollo de este evento se creará un comité de estudiantes, en el que los estudiantes puedan participar conjuntamente, ofreciéndoles horas

FOTO POR LEAH WILSON

Izquierda a derecha, Erika Baranick, Rebecca Lacoretz y Camila Losada leen sus poemas.

Los estudiantes recibieron estos eventos con bastante positivismo, donde se vio mucha más participación de estudiantes de origen hispano tanto como los de diferentes orígenes que en otros años anteriores. “Fue alentador ver que los estudiantes participaron en estos eventos, especialmente ahora, claro todavía no se vio un evento tan grande, pero para empezar, esto fue un éxito,” explicó Smith.

Al hablar de una proyección al futuro, ella agregó, “... para el próximo año y

comunitarias, por su colaboracion.”

Para concluir, estos eventos sirvieron como enseñanza de la inclusión de la herencia hispana a la comunidad de RM. La participación de los alumnos deja muchos recuerdos y simultáneamente se puede aprender a conocer más sobre la importancia de la herencia hispana y su diversidad cultural. Es importante adquirir nuevos conocimientos que amplíen nuestra apreciación de la diversidad cultural existente en RM.

Frida Kahlo representa La Copa Mundial: como su patrimonio por el arte el fútbol nos puede unir por Keiry Garcia ¿Qué viene a la mente cuando se escucha el nombre Frida Kahlo? ¿Famosa, controversial e inteligente? ¿O la mujer de bigote y cejas unidas? A decir la verdad, ella era todo esto y más.

Kahlo nació en Coyoacán, México el 6 de julio de 1907. Fue una mujer que sufrió desde su niñez ya que siendo muy pequeña padeció de poliomielitis, y la enfermedad afectó una de sus piernas durante toda su vida. Después, siendo una jovencita sufrió un accidente de tren que la mantuvo físicamente inactiva por largo tiempo, fue allí cuando se inició como pintora durante su tiempo de recuperación. Luego de su recuperación le muestra sus obras de arte a su amigo pintor Diego Rivera quien la apoya y la motiva a seguirlo haciendo.

Con el tiempo estos contrajeron nupcias.

En su vida como artista, encontró mucho éxito, pero algunas de las ideas en su arte fueron muy controversiales. Ya que su bisexualidad fue expuesta cuando en ese tiempo se consideraba un tabú pero como artista, fue una mujer distinguida y reconocida no solo en su país de origen, México, pero a nivel internacional. Su transparencia fueron reflejadas en sus obras de arte lo cual era inusual en esos tiempos, especialmente siendo una mujer.

Sus pinturas mostraban el folklore y el arte de su país. Sin embargo casi un 40 por ciento de sus pinturas fueron autorretratos los cuales mostraban sus ideas surrealistas (ideas irracionales) que llevaban la imaginación de su visualizadores más allá.

Sus obras eran en ese tiempo dramáticas y hasta cierto punto desconcertantes pues autorretrataba su vida en momentos de dolor y sufrimiento como por ejemplo en su obra “La columna rota” en la que se

pinta con una pieza ortopédica y con su cuerpo abierto mostrando una columna rota en vez de una columna vertebral.

FOTO POR EL MUSEO DE ARTE MODERNO

“Las Dos Fridas” pintado por Khalo en 1939.

Por su estilo surrealista hizo conexiones con otros pintores lo cual la llevó a organizar exposiciones en las ciudades de Nueva York y de París alrededor de los años 1940. Pero no fue hasta en abril de 1953 cuando expuso sus obras por primera vez en la galería Arte Contemporáneo de Ciudad de México. Falleció en su ciudad natal a la edad de 47 años.

Hoy en día muchas mujeres ven a Kahlo como una inspiración de superación debido a su fortaleza contra las adversidades en su vida personal y a la vez como una pionera en el arte de la pintura lo cual en sus tiempos era un arte en el que solo hombres sobresalían. Sus pinturas la llevaron a su reconocimiento internacional durante sus años de vida, lo cual prevalece aún después de su muerte. Kahlo dejó un legado no solo para las mujeres mexicanas sino para su país que se enorgullece de poseer ese tesoro cultural. Definitivamente Kahlo impactó al mundo entero, no solo la comunidad hispana, con su arte.

por Camila Medina Este verano pasado, por todas partes del mundo, fanaticos del futbol alzaron sus vuvuzelas y sacaron pintura de cara para celebrar la Copa Mundial de la FIFA 2018 en Rusia. Muchos entusiastas convencieron sus amigos y familiares para sentarse a ver los partidos de sus países. Era imposible no ser parte de las especulaciones, todos compartiendo con orgullo sus equipos favoritos, muchos afirmando que iban a ganar la Copa del Mundo.

Este año, Brasil, Uruguay, Argentina, Colombia, Perú, Costa Rica, México, España, y Panamá fueron los únicos equipos latinos que clasificaron para la Copa. Para algunos países, fue un gran orgullo verlos ser parte del evento deportivo más popular del mundo. Yitzel Cobham, un estudiante de noveno grado, dijo, “Fue increíble cuando descubrí que Panamá iba a participar en la Copa Mundial porque iba a ser su primera aparición en este certamen.”

Pero a la misma vez, muchos estaban decepcionados de no ver su país jugar.

Estudiante de décimo grado Gaby Castro dijo, “Me molestó que El Salvador no pudiera clasificar a la Copa Mundial, pero me alegró que Brasil haya entrado.”

El Salvador no fue el único país latino excluido, también Honduras, Bolivia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Chile, y Paraguay fallaron de ser representados en la Copa.

Aunque hay una comunidad grande de salvadoreños en Richard Montgomery, no significa que los estudiantes no se sentían emocionados durante los partidos de otros equipos. Salvadoreña Fátima Castro, una estudiante de décimo grado, respondió, “Yo apoyé a Uruguay porque parecían buenos y era un país latino pero me enojé cuando El Salvador no entró.”

El fútbol tiene la habilidad de invocar emociones en los aficionados, especialmente por ser el torneo más importante del fútbol internacional. A la misma vez, siempre hay por lo menos un partido que crea controversia. Sea una decisión injusta del árbitro, o porque su equipo le faltaba un gol para ganar, este mundial tenía suficiente motivos para quejarse.

GRÁFICO POR ERIC KIM

Gaby Castro dijo sobre un partido, “Me enojé cuando Brasil se enfrentó a Suiza y empataron 1-1 porque Brasil tenía mucha más posesión del balón y merecían ganar porque pusieron más esfuerzo.”

Aunque muchos aficionados critican a los árbitros sobre sus decisiones, seguidores demuestran sus sentimientos cuando un árbitro enseña una tarjeta roja a un jugador.

La Copa Mundial de la FIFA une a muchas personas. Es un momento divertido para los que aman el deporte y para quienes se reúnen a ver los partidos. El fútbol es un deporte con un gran significado para muchas familias latinoamericanas, y es un momento especial para compartir con la familia. Cobham dijo, “El fútbol me ha conectado con mi familia porque me da la oportunidad de pasar más tiempo con ellos, reunidos, mientras disfrutamos viendo un deporte que amamos.” Aunque este torneo solo ocurre cada cuatro años, el fútbol siempre servirá para promover la familia y los amigos.

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The Tide

Giuseppe’s is a family owned and operated pizzeria located in Rockville Town Center. “[Giuseppe’s] has a mixture of [relaxation] and excitement,” senior Reginald Shardow said. This restaurant hosts people of all ages ranging from small children to adults and everything in between. The arcade games in the back add a unique twist to the pizzeria, making it something for the whole family to enjoy. It even holds traditions for certain families. “My brother and I do a [football] pregame tradition where we eat there. We’ve been doing it since freshman year,” junior Shazali Audu said. This pizzeria offers more than just pizza. With everything from salads to subs to their signature curly fries, they have something to offer everyone. “If you’re looking for a fun night with your buds or gal pals, go to Giuseppe’s,” junior Cassandra Hedetniemi said.

By: Nicole Yanakiev

CENTERSPREAD

Kung Fu Tea is one of the most popular restaurants in Rockville Town Center. Many RM students visit Kung Fu Tea for its drink variety and unique flavors. “At least 10 high school students come to Kung Fu Tea on a regular day,” said Kung Fu Tea worker, Jay. Located at 275 North Washington Street, Kung Fu Tea is open every day from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. It offers more than 70 drinks ranging from authentic bubble tea to tropical punch. Drinks in medium and large sizes cost $2-$4. Kung Fu Tea has a small lounge that includes free games such as Jenga and Connect Four. “It’s a great place to play games or just talk with your friends,” freshman Victoria Koretsky said. Overall, Kung Fu Tea is a fun place for you and your friends to hang out because it provides quality drinks and a comfortable setting.

October 2018

CENTERSPREAD

The Tide

OM Fine Indian Cuisine, located about seven minutes walking distance in Ritchie Center, provides affordable options to any student looking for something other than the usual cafeteria lunch. At just $5, one of the most popular menu items includes a serving of rice, a choice of meat (either chicken curry or buttermilk chicken), as well as a vegetable (lentils, spinach or chickpeas). Vegetarians can also get this offer with two types of vegetables instead. The owner of OM explained that this deal was inspired by his son, a student who desired cheaper lunch options. “Why not charge $5 and have students come and try exquisite Indian cuisine?” he said. This deal has helped attract many students to the restaurant. “Considering that I just pick it up for lunch it’s pretty good. I’d definitely recommend it to someone looking for a cheaper price,” senior Sovann Woodin said. The restaurant’s proximity to RM makes it a great option for students who have busy lunch schedules.

By: Natalie Weger

The Spot is a food hall inspired restaurant located in Rockville, featuring restaurants such as CheersCut, Gongcha, Poke DC, Mian, and Alpaca Ice Cream.

Although the Spot has only been open since July, it has already built a reputation due to its diverse array of food, wide array of seating, and its aesthetically-pleasing look. CheersCut employee Alexis commented, “The environment isn’t very loud, and the space is very open and big.” Since they have both indoor and outdoor seating available to customers, very seldom do loud crowds gather. Sophomore Tyler Guthrie shared, “Since it’s more of a food hall area, I think that people usually don’t stay for long, so it doesn’t get chaotic. Personally, I really like the outdoor arrangement.” The Spot also offers a happy hour twice a week, on Tuesdays and Thursdays, where everything is 20 percent off from 2-5 p.m. So if you ever want to purchase cheap bubble tea or waffle ice cream, The Spot is the place to be.

October 2018

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IHOP is a restaurant known for the good quality of its pancakes.

You can get there in less than 10 minutes if you walk and two minutes if you take a car there. Students can order online through the IHOP website and pick up their order at the store. Their signature pancake is the Original Buttermilk Stack Pancake. Other flavors include Belgian Dark Chocolate Mousse, Red Velvet, Cheesecake, and limited seasonal flavors such as Pumpkin Spice and Cinn-A-Stack pancakes. All of these are under $10. On the menu, you can find other items such as Waffles, French Toast and Crepes, as well as more savory options such as sandwiches, omelettes, salads, and burgers.

By: Pierre Poulain

By: C. Lai

Quickway Japanese Hibachi, or Quickway, has a unique taste among the restaurants offered in Town Center due to its Teppanyaki cooking style paired with its healthy options. While awaiting your order, you are able to watch the employees cook it on the grill. “You can see your food being done right in front you which I think is always interesting to watch,” senior Reginald Shardow said. The restaurant offers more than just hibachi; it also offers a variety of rolls ranging from sushi to shrimp to california. Despite having high quality and healthy food, Quickway manages to remain relatively cheap. “You’d spend around $10 if you’re getting food and a drink,” junior Shazali Audu said. “If you are looking for cheap, Japanese food, Quickway is the place to go,” junior Cassandra Hedetniemi said.

By: Nicole Yanakiev

By: Eileen Zhang A few blocks away from the school is a little restaurant called Yuan Fu Vegetarian. Everything at the restaurant is vegetarian, though some dishes are modeled after traditional carnivorous ones. There is a takeout counter in the back and for $8.50, you can pick three items and a scoop of brown or white rice. If you choose to order off the menu, you can pick such traditional Chinese options as fried rice, lo mein, Kung Pao “beef”, sweet and sour “chicken” and moo goo gai pan. The restaurant was a lucky find for vegetarian Devora Organic, a [insert grade level here], who said that before becoming vegetarian she always ate meat. “When I became vegetarian I had to switch all that around,” Organic said. If you like Chinese food, are vegetarian or just want to try something new, Yuan Fu Vegetarian is the place for you.

Pizza, one of America’s favorite foods, is available to students via the infamous “pizza truck”—a black SUV—that is conveniently parked by RM on a regular basis. If you walk past the student parking lot and head towards the intersection of Fleet Street and Mt Vernon Plaza during lunchtime, you will find a line of hungry students waiting to purchase pizzas. The pizza truck offers options such as cheese, pepperoni, or sausage pizzas for just $5, as well as various options for soft drinks. For students who are looking for a good but cheap lunch, the “pizza truck” provides that option.

By: Erin Mullens

By: C. Lai

If you’re looking for a delicious burrito or quesadilla, California Tortilla is the way to go. This restaurant in Rockville Town Center offers a variety of tasty, Mexican-inspired meals for relatively affordable prices. According to senior Emmanuel Corporal, “California Tortilla is pretty much convenient and a hidden good thing in town center.” Though slightly higher prices can be a concern, students can get a one-up on these prices through a 10 percent discount simply by showing their student IDs at the register. Sophomore Karla Hernandez has found another way to get more bang for her buck. “[I get] a kid’s meal, because it has chips and it has a quesadilla and it has a cookie, and it’s all in one. And it’s not too pricey, it’s like right there,” Hernandez said. At the end of the day, California Tortilla offers a great space to spend lunch with friends and a variety of tasty options.

One of the RM community’s favorite restaurants is Jumbo Jumbo Café, which has been around since 2003. They serve a wide variety of food, but a fan favorite is their bubble tea, made in delicious flavors such as taro and lychee. Also, according to sophomore Corinne Hanway, “their popcorn chicken is really flavorful and delicious!” They have a diverse menu suitable for everyone. “ I definitely love Jumbo Jumbo. Not only is it just really easily accessible from Richard Montgomery, it’s also a great place to go with friends,” freshman Carina Guo said. It takes about 10 minutes to get there from RM, and the wait isn’t long. Hanway said, “It’s usually pretty crowded during lunch, a lot of people go there, especially on Fridays, but the line moves pretty fast and it doesn’t take too long to get your order.” So try Jumbo Jumbo Café if you haven’t already: you won’t be disappointed.

By: Nikki Shah

By: Julie Yeo

Want a milkshake and a sandwich to go? Located just at the outskirts of Rockville Town Center, Potbelly is the perfect spot for a lunch outing with friends. “We’re fast, fresh, and friendly,” Brendan Columber, a manager at Potbelly, said. “All of our ingredients are fresh, you can be in and out of the line in like eight minutes or less. You get good quality sandwiches straight out of the toaster, we have awesome, fresh-baked cookies every day, [and] we have really great shakes.” Drooling yet? Potbelly has favorable reviews from several RM students, who commented on the cheap prices and fast service. Sandwiches go for around $6 to $8 and shakes are $3. The Potbelly atmosphere is lively and there is always plenty of seating room for those who just want to sit and eat. “It’s a uniquely good sandwich shop,” senior Emmanuel Corporal said.

By: Julie Yeo GRAPHICS BY: ANGELINA GUHL, ALANA LU, SARAH MIREKUA, VALERIE WANG PHOTOS BY: ISHA YARDI AND ANGELA MU PHOTOS COURTESY OF LAS AMERICAS MARKET AND VARUN GANGADHARAN

Panera Bread, located in Rockville Town Center, has been open for business at this location for nearly three years now. Since then, it has been a provider of a great environment and great food. Panera offers a wide variety of foods that range from salads to soups, and even sandwiches. Sophomore Clare Mulderig said, “My favorite [dish] is probably the mac and cheese, but the bread is also really good.”

The menu items are also fairly cheap. Panera sells its fresh sourdough bread for just 79 cents. In addition, signing up for a Panera card can get you deals like 15 percent off any food or drink. With the combination of good food and great deals, Panera attracts a lot of customers. On average, at least 15 to 20 students grab a bite during lunch or after school daily. All in all, if anyone is looking for a good after school snack, free Wi-Fi, or a quiet place to focus, Panera is your place!

By: Eileen Zhang

Lab Cafe is famous for tasty drinks, flavorful food, and an aesthetically-pleasing design. The cafe sells handcrafted drinks such as milk tea, green tea, slushies and coffee. The drinks come in medium and large and cost about $2-5. Lab Cafe also offers a variety of tea toppings including classic boba and lychee jelly. The ice cream egg waffle is a popular menu item, which both tastes and looks delicious.

Additionally, Lab Cafe sells popcorn chicken and honey toast, which comes with ice cream, fruits, and granola. The restaurant also features artsy and modern decorations. “It’s very trendy and good for Instagram pics,” freshman Rosa Darko said. Lab Cafe also offers free games and books. Located at 101 Gibbs Street, the cafe is open Monday through Thursday, and Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., and Friday to Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.

By: Natalie Weger

A lesser known spot to eat in the surrounding RM area is Las Americas International Market, a grocery store located a few stores down from the popular restaurant OM, near the 7/11 in Ritchie Center. In the back of this store is a small cafeteria-style area where customers can order and pick up their food. Dina, an employee at Las Americas, declares that their pupusas—thick corn tortillas with a savory filling—are their bestseller. They have many filling options such as cheese, pork, cheese and beans and more. Their all-day deal is three pupusas for the price of $4.99. Senior Simone Koning is a regular customer and big fan of the cheese pupusas. “The food is just good quality and always made fresh,” Koning said. “It’s always fast and convenient. And also the rest of it is also like a market place, so it’s very convenient for any kind of snacks.” Las Americas also offers other Latin dishes such as carne asada, breakfast burritos, and even drinks such as horchata. For anyone wanting to try affordable and tasty Latin fare, Las Americas Market is a great option.

By: Maureen Zeufack

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FEATURES

October 2018

Students and staff promote mental health awareness

by Eliana Mazin and Katie Yuan Put yourself, for a moment, in the shoes of a psychiatric patient experiencing uncontrollable anxiety. While the role may seem worlds apart from your dayto-day life, according to the American Psychological Association, high school students report more anxiety than child psychiatric patients in the 1950s. It is a disturbing statistic which underlies the growing prevalence of the mental health epidemic gripping our nation.

The Child Mind Institute reports that half of all mental illnesses occur before the age of 14, and 75 percent occur by the age of 24. In the U.S., there are at least 10 million students in need of professional help for mental conditions between the ages of 13 and 18, according to the National Education Association. The sheer magnitude of this contagion should shock this country’s education system.

“Counselors are such a great resource in all aspects—academically, emotionally, whatever you require.”

-Reyna Choi The crisis is aggravated because solutions are limited. The national average ratio of students per school counselor is 491:1—near double the ratio of 250:1 recommended by the American School

by Brooke Hilliard

The Halal Guys Originally from New York City, The Halal Guys purchased its first location in Rockville last year. The gyro and chicken restaurant opened up shop in Wintergreen Plaza off the Rockville Pike.

On their menu, they offer a variety of mediterranean favorites including two main meal options, a pita sandwich or a platter. Both come with the choice of beef, chicken, a chicken and beef combo or falafel. They also offer classic mezze sides including hummus, baklava, shawarma, and pita bread.

The pita sandwich is priced at $7.99, with the small platter at $8.99 and the large platter at $9.99. The sides range

PHOTO COURTESY OF HALAL GUYS

The combo platter is a customer favorite.

Counselor Association. Students are robbed of one of the most effective outlets to deal with anxiety, exacerbating this national catastrophe.

Luckily, RM’s devoted counselors are diligently working to help students suffering with anxiety. RM’s student-to -counselor ratio is between 275 to 280 per counselor, considerably better than the rest of the country. “Counselors are such a great resource in all aspects—academically, emotionally, whatever you require—and not enough people take the time to get to know their counselor. The career center is also helpful when it comes to college, SAT,” senior Reyna Choi said.

T h e counseling department is open throughout the school day, and students are encouraged to come with any both academic and non-academic questions or concerns they have about themselves or others. Counselors will also be visiting classes later in the year to talk about mental health and suicide, two topics very much related to the anxiety.

“Getting students the opportunity during the school day to sit down and talk about different topics that are important to them to get out where that stress comes from is another really good avenue,”

counselor Brigid McKelvey said, regarding thecounseling department’s progress.

It’s also the time of the year when stress levels are shooting up as seniors rush to finish their college applications.

With early decision deadlines coming up on November 1, seniors have to balance college applications with school work and extracurricular activities.

“The pressure of maintaining a high GPA as well as extracurricular activities can obviously be overwhelming, but junior and senior year as an IB student is especially anxietyinducing.

EE, college apps, and up to 7 IB classes can really take a toll on students,” senior Elaine Han said Seniors Justin Song, Joshua Yu, and Katya Beltran identified e x t e n d e d essays, internal assessments, and tests as their major stress factors.

The underlying pressure and fear of falling behind add to students’ anxiety, especially among seniors. “This isn’t what I signed up for,” Beltran said, describing a senior’s thinking process. “This is way too much.”

Junior Selin Apaydin, who came here recently from Azerbaijan, shared her take on being in the Black Maskers club. “I signed up for the musical, and I didn’t know how much work that would be,”

she said. “I’m not complaining because it’s fun, but that makes it hard when you come home at 6:00 p.m., and you have two hours of homework, and then you finish it at 8:00 p.m., and you’re like, ‘But when’s my free

from 99 cents to $2.99. “I like the pita with hummus,” freshman Isabel Santos said.

The pita sandwich consists of a warm pita, wrapped over tender meat or fried falafel. It is then partnered with fresh vegetables, seasoned hummus and tangy tzatziki sauce. All of the ingredients are bundled together to create a traditional taste of a Mediterranean meal.

The platter is piled high with warm yellow rice, fresh vegetables and either meat or falafel. It is then drizzled with their smooth hummus and tzatziki sauce and accompanied by four slices of soft, toasted pita bread.

The Halal Guys has the same buffet style line that allows customers to customize their meal, similar to restaurants like Chipotle or Cava.

Customers can add tomatoes, lettuce, tzatziki sauce, humus, rice and extra meat to their meal.

Although the Rockville Halal Guys may not be as speedy as the pop-up stands in New York, they do offer a carry-out service. “I like that you can pick it up,” junior Gwyneth Pictall said. “It’s an easy dinner option.”

What sets the Halal Guys apart isn’t only their marketing of the less common mezze food. Behind the counter, they have several spinning spit roasts that cook the meat they serve in the restaurant. The spit roasts makes the whole restaurant smell of sizzling chicken and beef and a picture of the spit roast even makes up their red and yellow logo.

Its taste is distinctly Middle Eastern and students are raving to try it. Junior Eddie Rizkalla responded, “It’s quite delicious.

It’s fresh, and I highly recommend it.”

Armand’s Pizzeria

dough, sauce, cheese. The pizza is made in a deep iron pan with a layer of thick crust, sauce and extra mozzarella.

After it is baked, the pizza is covered with a warm cheese blanket that bubbles over the thick crust. It has a soft texture and steam smelling of hot tomatoes and cheese floats from the surface. The layers of cheese, tomato and crust are defined with every bite leading up to the crust.

Off the Rockville Pike in Congressional Plaza shopping center is one of the few Chicago style pizza joints in the area.

Armand’s Chicago Pizzeria in Rockville is a family-owned establishment that serves pizza, pasta, and other Italian favorites.

The inside of the establishment is filled with green tables and chairs, each accompanied by salt, pepper, and parmesan cheese shakers. Televisions are hung up in each corner, and in the center is a buffet that stands in front of the kitchen.

The restaurant is complete with a dinein, carryout, catering, and delivery services.

There are eight total Armand’s locations spanning across DC, Maryland, and Delaware.

Jim Hrozencik has owned the Armand’s in Rockville for 30 years. Hrozencik’s son Kevin Hrozencik, who is a junior at RM, is also an employee at Armand’s. Kevin has been working there every weekend for the past three years.

Hrozencik said, “Armand’s offers student jobs! We currently have three students from RM alone working there and we have had kids from all over the county come by and work.”

Not only are Richard Montgomery students employees of Armand’s, but many are customers as well. “There’s not really any other good Chicago style pizzas,” freshman Sofia Cristiana said.

Armand’s reverse deep dish pizza is what separates them from their competition.

While the original Chicago style is made with the sauce on the top layer, Armand’s keeps their pizza in the traditional order of

“Just asking a simple question like ‘Is everything okay?’ can always help.”

- Joanna Ge time?’ You don’t have any.”

For students struggling to balance their activities, there are multiple avenues and strategies to help reduce their stress such as avoiding procrastination, participating in extracurricular activities, and setting time aside for themselves.

“They can listen to some music and light up a candle, and just take some time alone,” freshman Angelina Guhl said.

From teachers and counselors to fellow students, students can build a network for healthy and beneficial relationships. For freshman Colleen Caulfield, her fellow members on the pom squad provides an important support network.

“All the girls on the team are my sisters and they’re really supportive. Whenever I have any struggles, I can always come to them,” she described.

There is always a place to go for struggling students. Supported by their peers, students should stay strong and be empathetic. “Just asking a simple question like ‘Is everything okay?’ can always help,” sophomore Joanna Ge said.

PHOTO BY KEVIN HROZENCIK

A friendly chef greets hungry customers.

Armand’s includes 16 speciality pizzas on its menu. The prices range from $9.99 to $17.99, depending on the size and the type of pizza. The menu is also stacked with options such as freshly baked cookies, hot subs, cheesy calzones, and fresh salads.

They also sell pizza by the slice and have a buffet. The buffet has not only pizza but also pasta, salads, and breadsticks as well.

Hrozencik adds, “My favorite menu item is our deep dish Chicago combo pizza with pepperoni, sausage, mushrooms, onions and green peppers.”

Although the Chicago pizza style is uncommon in the Rockville area, Armand’s Chicago Pizzeria has drawn dedicated employees and established a loyal customer base from the RM community. Junior Elaina Sahakian explained, “Armand’s is just the best. It’s absolutely amazing.”

FEATURES

The Tide

Grapes lifts, crafts, and leads

by Kevin Hrozencik and Amna Shamim When cruising the halls of Richard Montgomery, most people probably blur together, like an obstacle between classes and activities. This, however, is not the case with sophomore Alex Grapes, whose impressive stature and crimson-colored hair make him hard to miss. Born and raised in Rockville, Maryland, Grapes proves himself to be an impressive member of the RM community.

Grapes competes in powerlifting, a sport which requires grueling strength and internal grit to succeed, deciding to try it out after learning about it from his local gym, “I just saw that it was there and I was like ‘Hey, might as well give this a shot,’” Grapes said.

After just two years of training, Grapes has already become the Maryland state

champion in the under 18 category.

Throughout his powerlifting career, Grapes’ greatest source of inspiration has been his trainer, LG. He met her when applying for his membership and has trained with her since. “She’s a massive inspiration. She’s been one of the greatest people that I’ve ever known,” Grapes said.

Although he loves the sense of personal achievement he feels from powerlifting, Grapes has other plans for the future.

“Powerlifting is a sport for me, not a profession. I intend to keep doing it, and I enjoy doing it, but I don’t tend to make it all I do in my life,” Grapes said.

In addition to his passion for powerlifting, Grapes has enjoyed working with his hands ever since he was a child, and currently works on RM’s set construction team. “I started set con all the way back in sixth grade when I was at JW. But I’ve done stuff, like with craftsmanship, since I was a child… But I’ve enjoyed it ever since

PHOTO BY EMILY ZHAO

While not shown in the photo, Grapes’ crimson-dyed hair is hard to miss in the halls.

“I would like to do a more creative job in my life, and set con gives me a lot of opportunities to express creativity.”

- Alex Grapes I’ve done it. It’s always been fun for me.”

Grapes said.

While he finds set con useful, fun and enjoyable, Grapes’ main reason behind learning how to woodwork in the RM Black Maskers is simply the novelty of the idea. “I thought ‘I’ve never done this, let’s give it a shot.’ And from then, if I enjoy it, I keep doing it. If I don’t enjoy it, I stop doing it,” Grapes said.

While working with peers, Grapes has shown himself to be calm and helpful, doing whatever necessary to finish the job. “I think people look up to him, partly because of his size,” Eric Rodney, the media services technician at RM who is in charge of set construction in the Black Maskers, said. As a result of his helpful and friendly attitude, and possibly due to his impressive size, Grapes has affectionately earned the name “Clifford” among his friends.

In addition to woodworking, Alex has found other routes to express his creativity.

Despite being a sophomore, Grapes has already founded a club: the Dungeons and Dragons (DND) club. DND is an active roleplaying game where characters complete quests and levels in an imaginary, medieval fantasy world. For Grapes, this club is an opportunity to grow as a storyteller and a leader. “All the options are storytelling and creative endeavors,” Grapes said.

Through his self expression and “do anything” motto, Alex Grapes has been able to stand out as one of RM’s finest.

October 2018

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- question of the month -

Interviews by Carina Guo Mihil Sreenilayam. freshman “I’m going to be a bunny because I like gathering attention so I want to be as crazy as possible.”

Iris Postovit, freshman “It’s a great time to have fun with your friends and family. I’m dressing up as the Cookie Monster and making the costumes with my friends.

Valerie Farfa, freshman “Halloween is a time for you to be someone that you may not be. I’m probably going to dress up as Harley Quinn because she’s my favorite superhero or villain.”

Anna Greenspan, sophomore “I’m going to be a devil because I saw someone online do it and I thought looked really nice, and I thought, I want to do that; I want to be that.”

Vivian Yuan, senior “I If I were to dress up I would wear my Umbreon onesie I wore already in freshman year because Pokemon is great.”

GRAPHIC BY SARAH MIREKUA

McDonald: two standard deviations above the norm

by Kevin Lu When math teacher Leslie McDonald reflected on what she does in her free time, she laughed.

“Teachers don’t have any life outside of the classroom,” she claimed.

Yet students of Mrs. McDonald, who teaches precalculus and statistics, know her not only as their teacher, but also as a person with a myriad of diverse interests—a passionate Nationals fan, competitive bridge player and member of a bowling league.

Even at work, Mrs. McDonald connects with her colleagues at Richard Montgomery High School. The teachers in the math department, who coordinate Halloween costumes and often pop into each other’s classrooms, also meet up outside of school to sing karaoke and have game nights—

PHOTOS BY TESIA SHI

Mrs. McDonald reveals the z-score formula.

activities that Mrs. McDonald participates in wholeheartedly.

“When your friends are people you work with, it makes [the job] very easy,” Mrs. McDonald said.

While she knew she wanted to be a teacher since childhood, it took her until college to decide what subject she wanted to teach. She was torn between two seemingly divergent subjects, math and English, ultimately choosing math.

“I am such a better math teacher than I would be an English teacher,” said Mrs. McDonald, who remains an avid reader to this day. “I made the right choice.”

Mrs. McDonald has taught at RM since 2000, and before that at Wheaton High School. With more than twenty years of teaching experience, she has witnessed tremendous change in the classroom.

Mrs. McDonald recalled how different teaching the material was before the introduction of technology like Chromebooks and Promethean Boards.

“If we wanted to show a Powerpoint, we had to rent something from the media center, bring it to our room in a cart ... you only did that once every two weeks, so a Powerpoint was a big deal,” she explained.

With technology, Mrs. McDonald said that teaching has become much easier.

Besides concrete changes, Mrs. McDonald has noticed that the student body has changed as well.

“Diversity is probably the biggest change that I’ve seen over the years. And it’s a good change. But with it, you have to focus your teaching in different ways,” she said.

Over the summer, in recognition of a growing number of Spanish-speaking students, Mrs. McDonald became certified in ESOL (English For Speakers of Other Languages) education in order to better connect with her students.

Beyond her personal hobbies, Mrs. McDonald also volunteers extensively, driving to Southeast Washington weekly to tutor underprivileged children.

PHOTOS BY TESIA SHI

Mrs. McDonald holds up her red apple container: a trove of trinkets for her students.

In 2008, Mrs. McDonald went to McDonald’s relationship with, and Ghana on a Fulbright scholarship, the US eventual marriage to, economics teacher government-sponsored cultural exchange Douglas McDonald—how they drove program, living on campus at the school together to a taping of the quiz show It’s and teaching classes of up to 95 children Academic, how they tried to keep their each. dating a secret, andhow they eventually Teaching in Africa taught her about the married. importance of education. “It was a life“She says she kept it secret, but I knew changing experience,” Mrs. McDonald the whole time,” Mrs. Gaffney claimed. said.

“No you didn’t,” Mrs. McDonald One of Mrs. McDonald’s colleagues, math retorted. and theory of knowledge teacher Carrie “We’re all friends together,” Mrs. Gaffney, reflected on Mrs. McDonald’s McDonald concluded. year of teaching in Africa.

“Dipping the pen in company ink,” Mrs. “She’s the most generous human being Gaffney added with a snicker, as Mrs. you’ll ever meet,” Mrs. Gaffney said of Mrs. McDonald groaned.

McDonald. Even in conversation, their Mrs. McDonald is several things: friendship broke through. hobbyist, volunteer, loving wife. But When asked about other interesting above all, she is a teacher who cares about tidbits, Mrs. Gaffney jokingly replied, and works hard for her students. “I teach “Nothing.” because it’s incredibly rewarding,” she said.

However after further thought, Mrs. “Taking kids where they are and trying to Gaffney recounted the story of Mrs. move them to the next level. Making my

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FEATURES

Design and Architecture

by Shevani Tewari Every Thursday in room 38, students are grouped around multiple tables, describing vividly detailed drawings and assembling creative structures. They are all part of the Design and Architecture Club, which was started by junior Eujin Lee to teach high school students about architecture.

“I had always been interested in architecture as a possible career path, but this past summer, I took an introductory architecture class...and realized that this was something I really could see myself doing in the summer,” Lee said. “I want to provide [RM Students] the opportunity to learn architecture.”

Unfortunately, despite the plethora of opportunities RM provides for students to explore their interests, architecture is still not offered as an official class. Because of this, prospective student architects turn to this club to explore their interests. “I think

I may want to go into architecture in the future, so I want to learn about it here,” junior Christine Zhou said.

Because the club is relatively new, Lee works hard to acquire and attract new members. She started off the year by organizing a booth and collecting information at the club fair. In addition, she places emphasis on the relaxed environment of the club and its community atmosphere. While many other clubs implement credit requirements to ensure member involvement, Lee hopes for her club to be of a place free of stress and for expression.

“This club is a little bit more of a low pressure class,” Lee said. For example, on Thursday, Sept. 27, club members met to discuss drawings that they have created over the previous week. Lee provided feedback on all the drawings and introduced a new project: creating a cubic structure to understand the element of space.

While her initial meetings have primarily been focused on teaching the

RM 4 Gun Control (RM4GC)

by Michelle Ma In the wake of the series of school shootings that took place last year, students joined together across the country in protest. They rallied, organized walkouts, and made their voices heard. RM 4 Gun Control is dedicated specifically to the cause.

Sophomore Anand Chitnis, one of the founders, decided to start the group after last year’s Parkland shooting. After seeing all of the mobilization in response to the event, he decided he wanted to continue the momentum in a more organized way.

“We decided to make this club to be the hub for gun control activism at RM, and also for connecting with other schools to do movements,” Chitnis explained.

Some of these events include walkouts, the March for Our Lives, gun legislation forum meetings with Senator Jamie Raskin, anti-hate forums held by Raskin and the mayor of DC, and die-ins at the Senate office. Chitnis, who has participated in all

Archaeology

by Matthew Wong For decades, RM’s Archaeology Club has been working hard to unearth the history that is told from beneath the ground.

Originally started at Magruder High School, former history teacher Robert Hines created this club in 1984 after being approached by a student’s father, who explained how a new bank was being built next to Montgomery Mall in place of a deteriorating historic house. After gathering a group of students, Mr. Hines

GRAPHIC BY MATTHEW ADJODHA

of these movements, believes advocating is necessary to bring about change.

Sophomore Corinne Hanway recalls going to the White House last spring to rally for gun control after the school shootings. “It was a pretty big turnout;

GRAPHIC BY ANNABELLE SARGENT

led them on a dig over spring break.

“Even in those eight days we found over 3,000 artifacts, including a button which had George the Third on it which we took down to the Smithsonian to identify,” Mr. Hines remarked. “It even had a date on it, 1789.”

After the conclusion of this first dig, the bank ended up placing these artifacts in an exhibit on the second floor of the bank and also awarded the club $3000.

With that money, the club was able to buy archaeology equipment like trowels and rulers and hire professional consultants to get the club on its feet at RM. The club has since dug at a variety of locations: the county poor farm cemetery right off Wootton Parkway, a prehistoric rock shelter near the C&O canal, a civil war camp near Seneca Creek called Block House point and the Madison House where President James Madison stayed during the War of 1812. Each dig has revealed new artifacts.

Currently the club is digging at the Riggs House, one of the earliest houses built in Montgomery County, located in Brookeville, Maryland.

“We’ve found so many interesting things over the time. But I would say here in the last couple years, on the top of the list is the 18th century fireback at our current site, the Riggs House,... and the strangely carved rock we found in the slave quarters,

club members about architecture, she hopes to expand the club in both membership and the variety of activities.

“I have a couple field trips planned where we go into the community and understand the structures,” Lee said.

The club is open to all students, with no prior experience in architecture required. Students who wish to explore the the field or develop their design skills can contact rm.designandarchitecture@gmail.

GRAPHIC BY CAROLINE DINH

it was broadcasted on a lot of different stations, and I think we made some good change,” she said.

Aside from participating in rallies and meeting with senators, Hanway believes this movement is especially important for students. “I joined the club because I want to ensure safety for all students,” she explained. “We should be able to feel safe in school.”

As for Chitnis, who loves advocating, the best thing about the club to him is seeing everyone being so interested in the issue. “I guess my favorite thing is just seeing the enthusiasm in everyone’s faces,” he said. “I love to see everyone working their butts off to advocate for gun control.”

The club is open to all students, whether they want to help advocate, go to rallies, or simply talk to other similarly passionate students. The meetings serves as an open forum for everyone to discuss concerns and future steps.

RM 4 Gun Control encourages anyone interested to come to room 215 during Thursdays lunches, to check their Instagram, @rmforguncontrol, or to email them at rm4guncontrol@gmail. com. In hopes of making change, they will advocate tirelessly for what they believe behind it,” Mr. Hines explained.

During digs, students also learn to trowel into the ground and document artifacts that they find. Finding different artifacts is special to many of the club members. At the Riggs house, one might find a historic scraper or an old piece of machinery. “When you find something in the dirt, no one’s ever seen it before, you’re the first,” Mr. Hines commented.

In addition to these digs, the club meets every Thursday to clean and catalog the artifacts, which are then recorded, organized, and properly stored. “Just cleaning and seeing all the artifacts that people have found is pretty cool,” freshman Meghan Block said. “Just finding out what they were.”

Many students love how the club is authentic, being the only high school club in Maryland that works on professional archaeology sites. “You are actually digging up real things that had real historical significance to it, it became very interlinked to me and very intriguing,” junior Brennan Rose said.

For more than 30 years, students have preserved and explored history through archaeological digs and conservation of artifacts. If you enjoy history, you can experience it at RM’s archaeology club.

Archaeology Club. Contact Mr. Hines at robert_p_hines@mcpsmd.org for more information.

October 2018

YOU Service

by Rosemary Yang Thursday, Sept. 13 was one of the busiest days for Main Street. Curious students milled around numerous Trifolds lined up against the stairwell, while a dance group performed on the side. Life thrummed through the air, as conversation buzzed over the candy throwing and email exchanging. It’s the annual Club Fair, one of the most popular events of the school year.

Proudly boasting more than 180 clubs for the student body, RM encourages students to develop their own interests.

Last year, senior Clarissa Xia created YOU Service, a student volunteer group striving “to give back to our community that we have taken so much from,” as their mission statement states.

Currently, they are working with Twinbrook Recreation Center, tutoring elementary school students who will eventually matriculate to RM. Members are assigned to different teams, which rotate weekly in teaching responsibilities, to give them more flexibility in their schedule.

“Twinbrook Elementary has one of the highest percentages of children on free and reduced meals in the county,” Xia, who serves as club president, explained. “The kids aren’t necessarily as economically advantaged as children in other schools.”

YOU Service ensures that, with a little outside help, these students can thrive in high school.

The successful tutoring system brings fulfillment for both the mentors and the mentees. While it is hard work planning, contacting and executing every event, the officers find it rewarding. “We’re changing all those elementary schoolers’ lives by tutoring them,” sophomore Kaia LeeEspiritu, now co-vice president, said.

“I like the spirit of helping other people, and I do think that we’ve gotten quite a lot done,” senior vice president Sydney Sun said.

GRAPHIC COURTESY OF YOU SERVICE

Although the club is only a year old, the members have collaborated with many other organizations like the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, Stepping Stones, and RM’s Science National Honor Society.

Their most recent project involves making dog toys out of old t-shirts and donating them to the Montgomery County Animal Shelter. The project was successful, and the club received more clothes donations than they could handle. “It’s really satisfying to organize something and have it work out,” Xia said. In the future, they wish to advocate for clean water, suicide awareness, and other pressing issues in the community.

If students are interested, YOU Service provides a great opportunity to impact the local community. The club meets in room 249 at lunch. Email youservice. rmhs@gmail.com for more information.

“We try to help the local, global, and RM community,” Xia said, “And we would love to branch out.”

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October 2018

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The Tide

October 2018

ARTS

Olivia Chen hits all the right notes

by Tesia Shi

PHOTO COURTESY OF OLIVIA CHEN

Senior Olivia Chen poses with her violin at the Kennedy Center.

From practicing Bach to reading literature, there’s rarely a free moment to spare for senior Olivia Chen as she develops as both a violinist and a Quizbowl competitor on RM’s nationally-ranked team.

From the age of four, violin has been an integral part of Chen’s identity, impacting and inspiring her life in numerous ways.

She started violin at a young age primarily due to her parents’ influence. “My parents just handed me a violin and said ‘You play the violin now,’” Chen said.

While she found practicing tedious at first, she grew to love the instrument and the music she played. In addition to improving her technicality and musicality, her daily practice taught her values of discipline and perseverance.

“I gradually realized that practice is something which is valuable, and it’s something which has taught me a lot. Being able to sit down in a room with nothing but a violin and just work on it for hours was really good for me,” Chen explained.

Chen participated in one of her first major competitions, the prestigious Menuhin International violin competition, in her freshman year in 2016. Prospective competitors had to first upload a video recording of the set repertoire to be selected for the actual competition. Once selected, competitors travelled to London where they competed in three rounds.

In addition to competing, violinists participated in a variety of events such as masterclasses and concerts. However, out of all events in the program, Chen was most impacted by her performances at a

local hospital and elementary school.

“Going to Menuhin is supposed to be life-changing, but those two performances were my favorite part of the experience.

“Practice is something which is valuable, and it’s something which has taught me a lot.”

- Olivia Chen Going to those performances reminded me of why I wanted to play violin, and I wanted to recreate that at RM,” Chen said.

While she did not win, Menuhin gave Chen inspiration to create her own music club at RM, Noteworthy, which brings together student musicians and organizes performances at nursing homes and senior centers. Members have performed for residents of Ingleside, a retirement community, as well as Sunrise Senior Living and Rockville Nursing Home.

“I think Noteworthy is so enjoyable because you get to get together with your friends while also performing in front of an audience who’s happy to be there,” senior and Noteworthy violinist Daisy Liao said.

“I think [Olivia’s] passion really shows through in it, and I’m really proud of her.”

Since Menuhin, Chen has improved greatly as a musician, winning second place at the 2nd Ilona Fehér International Violin Competition this past summer. Her practice habits have extended to waking up to practice scales every morning before even brushing her teeth.

In addition to her musical talents, Chen is also a core member of RM Quizbowl’s A

team. This past year, she helped the team reach ninth at the PACE National Scholastic Championship in Reston, Virginia, one of RM’s highest placings.

While the club initially did not interest her, she soon found her niche in literature after attending a few meetings in freshman year. “I felt drawn to it. I love books, I’ve always loved reading. If I do this, then I have a good reason to read,” Chen said.

As a veteran member, Chen also takes time to help newer members adjust to Quizbowl’s format, from reading question sets during club meetings to tracking scoring during practices. For rookie members who are struggling with starting or studying, Chen gives them helpful tips and resources.

“I think [Olivia’s] passion really shows through in it, and I’m really proud of her.”

- Daisy Liao “Olivia is an active member, not only taking the time to study and improve her game, but also making sure to help others succeed as well,” senior Kevin Lu, Quizbowl’s co-president, said.

From violin to Quizbowl, Chen puts her all into her passions. As she closes out her high school career, she hopes to continue both pursuits in college and beyond.

However, for now, she will be focusing on organizing Noteworthy’s upcoming performances and preparing for the new season of Quizbowl competitions.

Teacher Advice Column: Car crashes and costumes compiled by Janet Choi The new school year is in full swing, and students are stressed, excited and already wishing for summer vacation. Mrs. Stanton, Mrs. Lyons, and Mr. Price shared some sage advice on how to survive and make the most of this school year.

Q: What advice do you have for students?

Mrs. Lyons: I really think it’s important that students and teachers build relationships. I think having strong relationships gives you a person you can turn to, a person who can support you but also someone who knows you, and help you to succeed in school or in whatever you do.

Mr. Price: Don’t be afraid to ask. Reach out to people who you trust—that could be your peers or teachers, administrators, other staff members. Also, if there’s something you really want to do, do it.

When I was in high school, I wanted to be senior class president. I was vice president

PHOTO BY ISHA YARDI

Mr. Price: “Know that with each day, you’ll be more prepared for your future.” the year before, and I ran a campaign and I won. I did a really good job, and I gave a really good speech on graduation day! You got to find out what you want to do and pursue it, and find people who can support you.

Q: When you were in high school, what were some of the most important lessons you learned?

Mrs. Stanton: Time-management, facing my problems, not running from them... that was really hard. What else did I learn... just being responsible for myself, and making choices. I had a car accident while I was trying to park my car. That was like really rough, and I paid for my damages, you know?

Q: What advice do you have for the seniors who are busy filling out college applications?

PHOTO BY ISHA YARDI

Mrs. Stanton talks about newfound responsibility and time management.

Mrs. Lyons: Seniors are getting ready to go out into the real world. I would strongly suggest that they really take the time to learn as much about the world before you

go out into it. I think they need to start questioning what’s going on in the world around them. Learn how to be a little bit independent and responsible before you have to be independent and responsible.

Mrs. Stanton: Know that any job you select down the road, it’s going to have its trials and tribulations, no matter what, even if its a job you love. But if it’s a job you love, at least you’re spending that vast amount of hours of your life doing it, so go for your goals, go for your dreams.

Mr. Price: You’re never gonna be a senior again in high school. So just enjoy this time, make the most of it. Make each day count because before you know it, you’re in college and you may not see any of these people again.

so it’s fun for them.

Mr. Price: I plan on dressing up as someone...not gonna say who though. You might be a little surprised.

Mrs. Stanton: I’m gonna be Wonder Woman! I normally dress myself up in something I come up with and I usually make my costumes too. Last year my son was a light-up traffic light, and he actually lit up. He fell down on his costume when he was running, so he’s crying, and I was like, ‘Hey, you okay,’ and he was like, ‘Yeah, my costume is all ruined.’ It wasn’t that he was hurt, it was that he was worried about his costume. It’s fine, now it’s a vintage traffic light.

Q: What advice do you have for the freshmen?

Mr. Price: Take it one day at a time. Don’t be overwhelmed. RM is a really good school, but it can be easy for students to kinda get lost and get nervous in trying to find their way. Reach out to people who you trust, and know that with each day, you’ll be more prepared for your future.

Mrs. Stanton: Know everything will be okay. In the end, it’s not as big of a mountain as you think it is. Put things into a more relaxed perspective. Know that other people make mistakes, and you’re entitled to have your own mistakes.

Q: Halloween is coming up! Do you plan on dressing up?

Mrs. Lyons: I usually kind of mildly dress up, by like wearing some ghost leggings or a witch hat. But one year I was a pokeball and my two kids were pokemon and my husband was Ash. Sometimes we do stuff like that but this year my kids’ costumes don’t relate, so I’ll probably dress up a little

PHOTO BY ISHA YARDI

Mrs. Lyons advises students to build relationships with their teachers.

What are activities?

your

favorite

fall

Mrs. Stanton: I love carving pumpkins, I like the flavors of fall. And I like the crispness of the air, but I don’t like it too cold, you know.

Mr. Price: Ooh, so I like the fall. Best season of the year. My birthday is on October 30th; it’s a national holiday. I like going to haunted houses and things like that. It’s not too hot, not too cold, it’s just right. Like Chipotle.

ARTS

The Tide

October 2018

Fall fashion shows turns over new leaf

by Mary Ma

As the hot and muggy summer months give way to cool fall weather, designers are trying to stay updated for the new season.

From the colorful Clueless-inspired plaid of Versace in Milan, to the Southwestinspired prairie dresses of Coach in New York, unity stands out as an overarching theme. Moschino’s Jeremy Scott sent out a line of Jackie Kennedy clones in Milan; designers seem to be picking one style and going all out with it.

An unexpected trend hitting the runway this season is 80s-inspired pieces. Models strutted the catwalk wearing exaggerated padded shoulders, tiny mini dresses and electric-colored leopard print. The minimalist has left the scene and the drama queen is out to play.

Whether it’s the colorful oversized

PHOTO COURTESY OF FLICKR UNDER CREATIVE COMMONS LICENSE

A model sports an open blazer paired with chunky acessories on the runway.

blazers of the Marc Jacobs show, or the neon leopard printed mini dresses of the Tom Ford show, the fashion world is telling us that more is really more.

The West is suddenly not so wild as fashion designers like Calvin Klein and Coach incorporate all-American silhouettes into runway wear. Long linen prairie dresses, leather jackets, slouchy leather boots and boho jewelry have graced the Paris runways this season.

Womenswear channeled the spirit of the pioneer woman, while menswear stayed more toned down with deep burgundies.

“The cowboy thing is a little bit crazy.

I don’t know if it’s for me,” sophomore Namya Nanda said. The easiest and most classic way to include this trend into everyday wear is to wear a leather jacket or some long dangling statement earrings.

Ridiculously oversized pieces have also been hitting the runway this season with Balenciaga’s multilayered coats and Comme des Garçons puffy tulle dress.

Oversized puffers were trending last winter, which seems to be carrying on into this year’s new fall season.

There’s something very futuristic about big clothes, bordering on a sculpture aesthetic. Fall and winter doesn’t have to be all black and grey, and these oversized clothing pieces are telling the world exactly that by bringing both warmth and fun into our wardrobes.

“I’ve already been wearing oversized pieces, so that won’t be hard,” Nanda said.

As always, runway designers took this trend to the next level, but incorporating it into everyday wear is not that difficult. By wearing oversized silhouettes on only one part of the body, the collection of Comme des Garçons protégé Junya Watanabe is a perfect blend of avant garde and classic that is wearable yet unique.

Male silhouettes in womenswear are in fashion for many designers this year.

Saint Laurent and Prada wore large, boxy blazers in classic herringbone and plaid, representing current challenges

17

Oliver! behind the curtains OLIVER! cont. from page 1 Seated below the stage and covered in darkness, RM’s pit orchestra provides live musical accompaniment. To prepare, students have pit rehearsals during lunch and afterschool.

“The challenge is always to measure up to previous years’ pit orchestras and have that level of excellence that people are used to hearing, and really to make the music sound so good that people forget there’s an orchestra playing,” instrumental music director Dr. Peter Perry said.

Unfortunately, many members of the audience do not recognize the weeks of work behind the scenes that goes into the musical. So why do the people backstage choose to work there?

Some of this has to do with the work.

“It’s really rewarding to see this set being constructed from pieces of wood,” Sun explained.

PHOTO COURTESY OF FLICKR UNDER CREATIVE COMMONS LICENSE

During Madrid Fashion Week, a model wears an oversized, leopard-print coat. to the status quo and female sexuality championed by a new wave of feminism.

Although the blazers challenge the traditional female hourglass figure, many designers opted to leave these pieces open with nothing underneath to further emphasize the idea that women do not have to lose their sexuality in order to be respected in the workplace.

This season marks an end to the minimalism that pervaded 2017, bringing an onslaught of funky new silhouettes, colors and trends. Fashion is a form of art, and designers explored just that through the strange, editorial, and sculptural looks that models wore this fashion season.

“Take note of the behind the scenes; there’s so much going on that we don’t even realize.”

- Rina Levy “I wanted to get involved with drama because I never had been before, so when I came out I was like I’ll give it a try with sound, and I ended up really loving it, and loving the technical side of things,” assistant technical director junior Rina Levy said.

Arenas’ film class adds a new take

by Melody Cheng IB Film is a two-year course open to anyone who would like to experience the ‘behind the scenes’ aspect of filmmaking.

Students in the course explore not only films, but the techniques, ideas and concepts that create a film. The class introduces aspects of cinematography, camera work and the mise en scène, along with every detail that creates what is seen on screen.

The course allows students to experience dissecting each component of film to understand its purpose, from the color, lighting and even framing of a scene. “[Film] is just such a fascinating art, that I feel like I would want students to be able to see, like not just the surface of it, but be able to dig into it and really understand how these films are messages,” IB Film Teacher Michael Arenas said.

IB Film allows students to analyze unique photographs, short clips and movies. Students also work collaboratively to evaluate what makes each piece special.

The course goes into depth on how each

“It’s their chance to really explore and gain confidence in creating something.”

- Mr. Arenas element, whether it be sound effects, lighting or color, works individually and then as a whole. The class learns about the impacts of each element on the audience as well.

The course also features a popular favorite project among students. Later

in the school year, individuals will have the opportunity to create their own short film and use their knowledge to express themselves from a fresh, new angle.

Students will use the techniques discussed in their class to direct and edit this entirely original product.

“I always tell people the minute that

IB Film’s creative individual projects are also what makes the class fun. “We don’t really have any parameters… [the projects] let you have fun and it’s funny to watch other groups’ films afterwards,” Liu added.

Students have their own freedom to create whatever film they would like, which makes the projects more engaging.

PHOTO BY EMILY PAN

Senior Sydney Sun constructs the set.

However, many students join and stay on crew for the atmosphere. “It’s just a really welcoming community, and there’s so many of us, and there’s always a place for somebody else, and it’s just a very tight-knit group,” Vincent said.

The long hours of behind-the-scenes teamwork allow students to form longlasting relationships. “The camaraderie, because of all the time you spend together in a closed environment, breeds a lot of friendships,” Dr. Perry noted.

PHOTO BY SHEVANI TEWARI

Film students study the Best Picture-winning “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.” they take the course, this is going to be “You can do your own thing with the films something that once they see how all these and just have fun with them. It’s cool to techniques are laid out and they play out, see like what you can do, and how you can they’ll always look at film that way,” Mr. change them [to] really make them look Arenas said. He elaborated on how the good,” senior Natalie Hasemann said. course teaches students to analyze each IB Film engages students in the art of technical component to understand the filmmaking, but also pushes students to fuller meaning behind the film. “That’s be as creative as possible. “It’s their chance what happened to me when I took film to really explore and gain confidence courses—I never looked at movies the in creating something in the media same way,” Mr. Arenas said. themselves.” Mr. Arenas said.

Students agree that the class is uniquely Film is a unique medium beyond English enriching. “Normally in classes it’s a lot of and reading that is up to interpretation, book work and lectures, while in film class as well as debate and discussion. IB Film we actually get to watch films and make encourages students to be open-minded some of our own,” said senior Sean Liu. and creative thinkers, as well as allowing “[It] gives us a bigger opportunity to be them to learn something new everyday. creative.”

“The camaraderie, because of all the time you spend together in a closed environment, breeds a lot of friendships.”

- Dr. Perry While crew members may not feel the heat of the spotlight or the rush of preshow adrenaline, the musical is as much theirs as it is the cast’s. “When you come to see the show, if you do, which you should, when you are watching try and think about not just the actors onstage...take note of the behind the scenes; there’s so much going on that we don’t even realize,” Levy said.

Go see Oliver! On November 9, 16, and 17 at 7 pm and November 11 at 2 pm.

18

ARTS

The Tide

October 2018

Early fame brings hardship Drug use infiltrates music Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus, Britney Spears and Lindsay Lohan have broken down on

by Nicole Fang multiple occasions despite a seemingly happy childhood experience.

Whether in acting, singing, or modeling, “If I were a child star, I would probably the world has seen many children pursue become overwhelmed by all the popularity stardom. Many people envy the glamorous and lack of privacy after a while,” senior life child stars have, when in reality, child Russell Corbin said. “I think being a child stars deal with more rough patches than star has so many consequences because is known. your priorities become set not by yourself Being aware of the hardships child but by the desires of your fans.” stars must endure takes everyone to an Criticism can also be detrimental to understanding and sympathetic state. a child star’s self-esteem and emotional The entertainment industry comes with stability. Haters and people voicing their long hours of work, stress from learning opinions are common in the modern world. lines and touring, and demanding Children who face criticism from the public deadlines. will most likely be unable to handle it and “The life of a childhood star is about grow up with insecurities. business,” Medical Director of treatment Child stars are often pampered to the center The Control Center Dr. Reef extreme. They become comfortable in a Karim said. “It’s about agents, managers, life where everything is done for them, publicists, parental pressure and being a which leads to difficulties in learning how character that is not you. It is fantasy, but to do laundry, cook, and perform everyday the pressures are very real.” tasks.

Growing up in the scrutiny of the public “They have money, they can buy what can be emotionally troublesome. As child they want, they get favors, they’re exposed stars grow older, they face pressure to to stuff younger, and exposed to things that remain the same, innocent people they they think are acceptable, and it gets out of once were. As a result, they often act out. control,” actress Lucia Scarano Forte said.

Throughout the years, stars such as With kids relocating to Los Angeles to pursue dreams of fame, they miss out on a normal childhood. Child stars do not get to experience the euphoria of playtime, knowledge obtained from school, and special occasions such as prom. Because of their busy schedule at work, they spend less time with family and friends and may become socially awkward.

Consequences come along with the fortunes of being a child star. It is not easy for children to handle the effects of being in the entertainment industry. Next time coverage on a child actor, singer, or model PHOTO COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS is on media, it is important to understand Singer-songwriter Justin Bieber suffered that their life is not as glamorous and from the spotlight starting at an early age. perfect as most perceive it to be.

by Colleen Weinburke Popular music has featured illicit drugs and drug use for years, but with singer Demi Lovato’s ongoing substance battle and rapper Mac Miller’s death from overdose rising to attention recently, people are reexamining drug portrayal in music.

Musicians have the power to influence how their teenage audience perceives drugs.

There are hundreds of songs that feature drug use, but few show the uglier truths surrounding it. Instead, musicians often portray drugs as a lifestyle choice.

Some students believe that the influence of drugs in music is harmful to a teenager’s perception of illegal substance use. “I feel a lot of songs undermine how serious drugs are,” sophomore Halle Dickerson said.

What may be concerning about the glorification of drugs in music is that musical idols can become role models. When fans see their idol using or recommending drugs they may be encouraged to follow suit. “It is kind of disruptive because to the little kids that are hearing it… it might imply that it actually is good to do drugs,” senior Marcos Miguel said.

“I feel a lot of songs

undermine how serious drugs are.”

- Halle Dickerson

After rapper Mac Miller fatally overdosed in September, messages and reactions flooded the internet, with many fans shocked to hear of the 26-year-old artist’s death. While most of Miller’s friends sent condolences, one took it upon himself to discuss Miller’s drug addiction

GRAPHIC BY ALANA LU

and try to prevent others from going down the same path.

“This is a message for anybody in this game that’s going through something,” rapper J. Cole tweeted. “If you don’t feel right, if you feel you have a substance problem, if you need a ear to vent to. If you [feel] uncomfortable talking to people around you. Please reach out to me.”

Although many artists do not address the underlying issues of drug use, Miller was outspoken about his relationship with drugs and sobriety. In an interview with Billboard following the release of his 2015 album, “GO:OD AM,” he said, “I’m not doing as many drugs. It just eats at your mind, doing drugs every single day, every second. It’s rough on your body.”

Fans were worried for Lovato as well, who was rumored to have been hospitalized after an overdose. “I think it’s very sad that Demi Lovato’s overdose happened, because I know she struggled with addiction her whole life and a lot of it is because of her career.,” junior Megan Kearns said.

The portrayal of drugs in the music industry remains a serious problem, particularly amongst young listeners who may not realize the harsh reality of drug use. It may be hoped that in the wake of such tragedies, artists will have a deeper consideration for the messages they may be sending with their music.

THE TIDE CROSSWORD: BACK TO SCHOOL Special Across:

1. Try to communicate 6. Wood strip on which roof tiles are balanced 10. ______-thinker 14. Australian rock also called Uluru 15. Exchange rate 16. Rooftop device 17. Relies (on) 18. James with a space telescope named after him 19. Razorbill genus 20. Derided clef of the viola 21. Like an email draft 23. Needing medical attention 24. “Toddlers and ___”: TLC reality show 26. Painkiller used extensively by some athletes 28. Boundary separating 24 hrs.

29. Gives a shiatsu 32. Risk-taking 33. Inquire (about) 34. Country that is thought to contain Calypso’s island in “The Odyssey” 36. Old tax system, abbr.

37. What one must be in RMHS, and to solve the meta puzzle 39. Sister of Hades 41. Brittany, to Bretons 42. Where one would test scientific principles 45. Examples of berries, if one is openminded 47. Shop window sign 48. Historical period 49. Capsized 51. Accompany to a social event 53. GQ or Cosmo, e.g.

54. ___ the thunder (uses someone else’s ideas) 57. Tesla or volt 58. “Blimey!” blurter 60. Kind of pool or therapy 61. Atlanta athlete 62. Main character of the Super Monkey Ball games 63. Coffee containers 64. ABC, for “Jeopardy!”

65.

Andean culture that was knowledgeable about architecture and astronomy 66. Trait reflective of a germaphobe 67. Caring figure for a child

Down:

1. Region of Anatolia and recipient of one of the Pauline epistles 2. They’re usually heavier at night 3. Event offered by Ms. Shay where one enjoys discussion and a beverage 4. Region in Middle Earth also called the Northern Kingdom 5. Concern of superabsorbent tampons, abbr.

6. Grassy area 7. Matures, as cheese or wine 8. Dalai Lama’s home 9. Mix socially, as with those of higher status 10. Eggs in a 42-Across 11. With sound logic, correctly 12. Pen, as animals 13. “I mean it!”

21. Often ordered drink (with “the”) 22. Acrobat’s swings 25. Pieces of clothing pertinent to Tinker v. Des Moines 27. Of or relating to wings 30. Small blister 31. “Dancing with the ___” 35. Length times width, for a rectangle 37. Waffle maker 38. Frasier’s brother 39. Common blood thinner 40. Mournful, as some poems 42. Bernstein who composed “West Side Story” 43. Came 44. Crime paired with assault 45. Home of Bollywood 46. Booby-trapped weapon 50. John of tractor fame 52. Ancient Roman senate house 55. Eleanor Roosevelt’s first name 56. “___ we forget...”

59. Madre’s hermana 61. Michael Jackson album

A Note from the Creator:

Welcome to the first installment of the RM Tide Crossword Contest! If you just want to solve the crossword, that’s fine and you can ignore this. However, if you want an extra challenge, then you can try to solve the meta puzzle.

I’ve been participating in these sorts of crossword contests for a few years now, and I thought it would be a lot of fun to introduce the faithful Tide readers to the mechanics.

Basically, there is meta puzzle hidden in the crossword puzzle, and the answer to the puzzle is a word or phrase. If you want to see examples or try other crosswords with meta puzzles, check out the Wall Street Journal Crossword Contest.

For a chance for a shoutout in the next issue, email tidecrossword@gmail.com with the answer, a short explanation of how you solved the meta, and a picture of your complete crossword.

- Grant Yang

This issue’s contest answer is something you need in order to succeed at RM.

The Tide

SPORTS

October 2018

19

Golf takes swings Football fields new stars behind the scenes

by Matthew Rothmann and Jalen Stubbs

has already qualified for states as a team.

“When we went to districts this year,

by Selma Hamza and Grace Zhou from the beginning we thought we were basically guaranteed to go to states with Golf is definitely not the most popular the players we have now and each person’s high school sport. In fact, many people average score,” junior Alyssa Cong said.

Individuals can qualify with their own likely do not know the basics of the sport in general, let alone the high school golf score by shooting lower than a certain team. Despite the general public’s lack number, which was 91 for girls this year. of recognition, RM’s coed golf team, led However, it is much more difficult for a by coach Mike Kellinger, is constantly team to qualify as a whole. “In order to aiming high and pursuing unprecedented make it to states for teams, you take five players to districts and you count the top achievements. four scores. If these top four scores There are three types of are lower than a certain number— main events for the team: high this year was 328—then you get school matches, the districts to go to states as a team,” Cong competition and the states explained. This number is much competition. lower than four times the number for The least competitive individuals, so each person must score of these are the high school much lower to collectively qualify as a matches. “At every match, team than to qualify as an individual. there are six players from each In the past, the team did not have of four schools competing that enough players or a low enough score to day,” freshman Emma Chen qualify for states as a team. “Previously, said. “We are paired with 3 we didn’t even get to send four people to other people, each from a districts. We didn’t have enough golfers different school.” and most of the ones we had were The course for high school matches is comprised of GRAPHIC BY KISHA YAN girls that didn’t want to qualify through the co-ed districts,” Cong nine holes, and scores are based on the sum of top four scores said. “Frankly, our team average score just of the team. “The whole thing lasts about wasn’t low enough.”

With a host of new players bolstering four to five hours, including the time spent warming up beforehand and announcing the average score this year, the RM golf the scores afterwards,” Chen said. team is setting an all-time record. “We have “The matches themselves are really fun, a chance to win our division and we have a they’re a great way to meet new people and record number of players going to the state championship,” Coach Kellinger said. make new friends.”

Despite their lack of rapport within While high school matches are only nine holes long, districts are eighteen and the RM sports community, the athletes on states are thirty-six, which makes these the golf team have quietly been garnering achievement after achievement. They competitions much more difficult.

Despite the challenges, this year’s will be looking forward continuing their golf team is better than ever before, and success at their states debut.

Raucous shouts and ecstatic cheering have become a form of weekly greeting for the RM varsity football team after multiple seasons of success. Yet this year, there has been something subtly different—amidst the usual exuberance hides just a touch of relief. Having lost 18 key graduating seniors, the team had to work past growing pains, unfamiliar roles and a lack of veteran experience to recapture its former glory.

One of the football team’s biggest losses has been the departure of former quarterback and captain Spencer Silverstein. “You wonder how you’re going to replace certain people. Spencer, obviously, being the starting quarterback for three years, you know, things are going to be different,” Coach Jon Freda said.

Yet, the immense amount of departing seniors left gaps in leadership at not only the quarterback position, but all over the field.

The other two graduated captains, Adam Tounkara and Avery Reeves-Williams, both acted respectively as cornerstones of the offensive line and receiving core.

Without these veteran players, the team stumbled early on in the season. After being upset at home by the Churchill Bulldogs, they were crushed 35-0 at Paint Branch.

Hampered by the lack of solid experience, quarterback-receiver connections faltered and the offense was left one-dimensional, relying solely on its run game.

This slow start pushed some new players to step up and take up the roles of the departed stars. “Because of our early losses, guys have stepped up to improve our leadership and morale overall,” junior cornerback James Muha said.

One of these “new guard” members is Silverstein’s replacement, junior Michael Braswell. Despite starting off the season completing less than fifty percent of his passes and throwing multiple interceptions every game, Braswell’s numbers have seen

constant improvement heading towards the end of the season.

More than just pulling up his stats, as Braswell has started to integrate with the team, he has also begun to stand out as a true leader. “I feel like Michael has gotten a lot better both as a pure passer and as a leader off the field, like Spencer was,”

PHOTO COURTESY OF MICHAEL BRASWELL

Braswell (left), quarterback, and Ayoola, running back, pose during football practice.

senior wide receiver Kevin Liu stated.

This new surge of confidence has brought very tangible in-game results.

The team shut out Walter Johnson 410, played a competitive contest against perennial playoff contenders Northwest, and defeated BCC 28-0.

With their early season issues solved, the team has begun to look forward to the postseason with high expectations. Coach Klotz especially is hoping to achieve the same success he has brought to the team in the past few years.

“We want our games to mean something every week. Our goal every year is to be a playoff team, we expect to be in the playoffs, we work to be in the playoffs. Because once the playoffs start, it’s a whole new ballgame,” he said.

Despite the massive turnover, the football team has managed to rally past a slow start behind the efforts of a new set of rising stars. With these young players at its core, the team can expect to hear that ever-present chanting from the bleachers for at a least another few years longer.

Keys to their success: 5 tips from RM’s best athletes

by Kathleen Li and Sophia Taur RM boasts a large slew of talented athletes at the top of their game. All of them took their own path towards their current success, but share lessons they learned along the way. Here are five tips they attribute to their success:

Tip 1: Bond with the team Team bonding is a crucial aspect of playing on a sports team. Spending time with your teammates off the field ensures better cooperation between players on the field. This cooperation is crucial for team-based sports. Senior David Molot, co-captain of the boys soccer team, said, “It’s important, super super important to bond with your teammates and make sure that you trust your teammates, and that you know that your teammates are always there for you.”

There are many ways to bring a team together. Two common team bonding strategies are exchanging buddy bags and hosting team dinners. For buddy bags, each member of the team is partnered with another teammate and buys their buddy small gifts, like candy, for every home game. This is a low-cost way to show support and appreciation for teammates.

Team dinners require more planning and money but are also a great way to unify the team as a whole.

Small interactions with teammates can also have a great impact on team relationships. “A simple and heartfelt

compliment can go a long way,” sophomore tennis player Michelle Ma said.

Tip 2: Time management is key Being an athlete means balancing school work with daily practices after school.

Effective time management helps students excel both athletically and academically.

Molot said, “It is important to recognize that the homework and the tests and all that comes before the sport.”

Some athletes may need assistance when it comes to time management. “Set a timer and then move on to your homework and get it done so that you can go to sleep on time and make sure that you’re healthy,” Molot advised. While taking a well-deserved break after practice is fine, athletes need to allot an adequate amount of time for school work.

one of the star players on the varsity boys soccer team.

In addition to demotion, injuries constantly plague athletes’ careers. Almost every athlete has experienced the feeling of sitting out a season due to an injury.

“During freshman year of cross-country,

For a student who plays multiple sports, choosing one to focus on can be a daunting task. In order to make an informed decision, the athlete must keep the commitment level, skills needed, and difficulty in mind.

“I recommend they pick a sport they’re passionate about, don’t let anyone force you to do a sport you don’t want to do,” Olano advised. “The point of high school sports is to have fun, and you only got four short years, so make the most of it.”

An athlete’s willingness to put in time and effort into allows them to both excel and have fun.

Tip 5: Never Give Up

Tip 3: Do not be discouraged by mistakes or injuries Even the best players have rough days.

However, it is important to keep trying, even in the face of adversity. The ability to persevere separates star athletes from the rest. Molot stated, “I remember being benched for a long time when I made a pretty bad mistake my sophomore year.

The coach actually put me down to the JV team for a while.”

Despite his disappointment at the demotion, Molot continued to persevere.

“It felt bad, but it motivated me to keep working, to get better,” he said. Through practice and dedication, Molot is now

Tip 4: Commit to a sport

GRAPHIC BY KISHA YAN

I got a stress fracture that took me out for the rest of the season and the indoor track season,” junior Nick Olano, who is on the cross country team, said. “I was pretty bummed out and impatient on my road to recovery, but eventually with cross training and wearing a boot cast on my leg for a while I was able to come back in the outdoor track season.”

With patience and physical therapy, athletes are able to overcome injuries and carry on at the best of their ability.

Every athlete has their off days, but hard work and patience will allow them to improve.

Junior Laila Rogers said: “Never give up on something that you love. Frustration will always be there but you have to learn to push through and conquer because greatness will come.”

Athletes need to remember off days are only temporary and provide the chance for athletes to improve.

While playing a sport requires an enormous amount of commitment and dedication, athletics opens up a whole new avenues of friendships and positive experiences.

Perseverance coupled with a love for the sport will allow an athlete to create memories with their team and teammates that last a lifetime.

20 The Tide

SPORTS

October 2018

Athlete of the Issue Alex Coster kicks off this fall season with a bang

by Byron Fan and Eli Protas

Senior Alex Coster is a natural-born athlete and leader. Since sophomore year, he has been co-captain of RM’s soccer team and an athlete on RM’s track and field team, demonstrating his leadership skills and ability to motivate the team.

Similar to many of his teammates on RM’s soccer team, Coster has been playing soccer for many years. “I got into soccer in first grade when I was at daycare. A kid was telling me about a guy named Lionel Messi,” he said. He fell in love with the sport and has played it ever since.

As it turns out, Alex’s dedication to the sport comes from learning at an early age. His mother, RM’s IB Coordinator Ms. Shay, takes partial credit for his success, having helped him get into soccer initially.

“I signed him up for a league, and although he didn’t immediately show great talent at the sport, his passion was evident from the beginning,” Ms. Shay said.

“His passion was evident from the beginning.”

- Nancy Shay The strongest foundation for Coster’s later success was his innate athleticism.

“He completely bypassed the ‘learning to walk’ phase developmentally and moved straight into running. He was an energetic toddler!” Ms. Shay said.

Nonetheless, Coster still had to work hard to become the star player he is today.

“I’ve learned to be more confident on the ball and my ability to read the field has improved drastically since freshman year,” Coster said.

Coster plays center defender midfielder, occupying a key position in both defense and offense. His job is to help the team regain possession and set up the offensive play.

The competitive RM soccer team provides a great atmosphere for Alex to excel. The team has already set goals for the current season, and these goals have set the tone for the current team atmosphere.

“The team always comes into practices and into games with the mentality we can make it far in playoffs. We’re a young team this year and are very hungry to win our division,” Coster said.

Aside from his contributions on the field, Coster boosts the team through his leadership and work ethic. As captain, he demonstrates to his fellow teammates the importance of having a good work ethic both in sports and in academics. “He is everything that a captain should be and he takes this position extremely seriously,” junior soccer player Jorge Mendoza said.

“His work ethic is something that everyone should aspire to have.”

This work ethic applies to Coster’s sports and academics alike. “We’ve always been proud of Alex’s ability to find balance in his life. Although he’s far more social than my husband and I ever were, he manages to commit to soccer and show interest in academics,” said Ms. Shay.

As captain, Coster strives to create a team dynamic where teammates are not only focused on their goals but also can

have fun. “I try to be as fun as possible, but when it’s time to get serious I make sure everyone is on task,” Coster said. “Having a good blend of seriousness and knowing when to goof off creates a good bond between the team.”

Balancing varsity athletics and rigorous academics is challenging, but Coster believes he is up to the task. “I plan to go to a college where I could play soccer and run track. I also plan to major in education with an eventual goal of

PHOTO BY BRITNEY ERICKSON

Coster (front) dodges opponents and maneuvers the ball in a game against the Blazers.

Coster’s leadership is not limited to that of RM’s soccer team. “He has been, for one team or another, a captain consistently for seven years straight,” Ms. Shay said.

“I’ve always admired that he practices and encourages skilled, clean playing.” Coster clearly has the experience of leading along with promoting a positive type of playing.

Ms. Shay’s important role at Richard Montgomery has contributed to Coster’s studious nature. “He loves politics and history, especially American History,” said Ms. Shay. His good grades and consistent interest in sports show his commitment to the life of an athletic scholar.

becoming a teacher and following in my mother’s footsteps,” said Coster.

Though athletes are encouraged to invest most if not all of their time and effort in their sports of choice, this is often not possible due to rigorous school curricula.

The strong capability Alex Coster has shown in balancing these time-consuming interests for four years is the mark of a successful student athlete.

His actions and achievements serve as a model for those who wish to make meaningful contributions in the school environment, whether it be in the classroom or on the field.

Athletes and administration combat sports injuries

by Katie Spencer and Giulia Testa Whether it be concussions, sprains, broken bones or torn ACLs, injuries in any sport, whether at the high school level or professional level, are almost inevitable.

With the right treatment, however, it is possible to minimize length of recovery.

The RM athletic department, luckily, has plenty of resources in place to both prevent injuries and aid in recovery.

RM athletics offers resources to all athletes to help with any injuries that may occur on the field. Both coaches and teammates help to motivate their players to take precautions against injuries, as well as provide a support system for athletes who do unfortunately get hurt.

another support for athletes. Whether it be recovering from an injury, or just wanting another good stretch, Tori is available to all athletes and has been a huge part of the recovery process for injured athletes at RM. Senior Austin Cheung, a football player, tore his ACL both sophomore and junior years. “The training room is always filled with whatever taping, rollers or stretch bands athletes might use that help prevent injuries,” Cheung said. “Tori has been such a blessing and has always looked out for me and my best interests.”

Many RM athletes who have suffer injuries have long recoveries before they can get back out on the pitch.

“I couldn’t do any physical activity until I didn’t have any more symptoms which took about two weeks. Then there was still a gradual six-step return to play

PHOTO BY ISHA YARDI

Athletic trainer Tori Simonetti (right) treats XC athlete Alex Councough’s turf burn.

Junior and soccer player Cory Bucy which took another week until I could play suffered a concussion at the beginning in a game,” Bucy recalled. of the fall season. “They were really After Cheung tore his ACL for the supporting of not pushing me back into second time as a junior, he decided to playing before I was healed,” Bucy said of hold off surgery so that he could play. her coaches during her injury.

“Currently, I can no longer play football RM’s athletic trainer, Tori Simonetti, is since it is too unsafe with its physical

nature, but I will finish my senior year playing basketball before I get my second surgery,” Cheung said.

At the start of each season, athletes across the county are required to view an informational slideshow that covers how to avoid common injuries. “I learned more than I thought I would,” freshman JV field hockey player Cori Freundlich said.

Freundlich missed several weeks of the season due to a concussion, one of the most severe injuries high school athletes suffer from due to their serious, longlasting symptoms.

Concussion rates are on the rise among high school sports according to the Orthopedic Journal of Sports Medicine, but this is luckily not due to any increased danger. Students know more now than they used to about identifying the signs and symptoms of concussions, so the amount of reports are increasing.

However, RM’s statistics are still on the upper end of the spectrum. “We typically see about one concussion for every one hundred athletes,” explained Simonetti, “but we’re at thirteen so far.”

Perhaps this season’s data is a bit of an outlier, as many sports normally considered low-risk for concussions have yielded several cases so far. Field hockey players, notoriously treated for bruises and scrapes, have contributed two concussions to this year’s total.

With regards to concussions though, RM has a plan to identify and treat them as soon as they occur. Every two years, athletes complete a baseline concussion test, a 20-minute online program that consists of pattern identification and memory activities. When an athlete takes a blow to the head, they take the test again, and their results are compared with their original baseline score to determine if they have a concussion.

For volleyball players, the demanding year-round schedule leaves athletes vulnerable to overuse injuries. “We’ll get

some shoulder injuries, a lot of lower back pain, and it’s the same thing with ankles because they do a lot of jumping and landing on those ankles,” Simonetti said.

While these injuries will always be predictable and easy to prepare for, there will always be some surprises.

After generating much excitement throughout the summer installment, the newly-replaced RM turf is posing some unexpected problems. The new artificial turf, composed of a different type of infill, appears to cause more cuts on contact.

“The turf skins me alive, even when it’s just a simple fall,” senior field hockey

“If you fall, you bleed, and falling is inevitable.”

- Caroline Cornish captain Caroline Cornish said.

Since the new turf opened in the first week of September, Cornish has accumulated scrapes on her knee-caps commonly referred to as “turf burns”. These painful cuts often draw blood, and athletes flock to the sidelines to seek bandages and gauze. “If you fall, you bleed,” Cornish said, “and falling is inevitable.”

Others are trying to keep calm and remain patient. “The turf’s not that bad anymore,” senior football player Simon Abedimungu said. Some athletes have faith that over time, the sharpness of the infill will decrease as it’s worn down. For now, however, athletes must be cautious.

RM athletes train at such an intense level that they push their body to its limit.

Injuries unfortunately become a frequent side effect.

In these moments, it is the care provided by the athletic department that allows them to rise again and again to perform at their greatest potential.